Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan del Sur and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan del Sur and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,748 in San Juan del Sur versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,434 in San Juan del Sur versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan del Sur costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan del Sur is 21% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.25 NIO 156

$13.07 MX$229

-67.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.73 NIO 1,235

$53.8 MX$940

-37.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NIO 203

$9.68 MX$169

-42.77%

Cappuccino

$2.43 NIO 88.8

$3.74 MX$65.4

-35.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NIO 28.88

$1.62 MX$28.25

-51.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NIO 24.45

$1.16 MX$20.31

-42.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 NIO 48.78

$3.23 MX$56.4

-58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NIO 74.5

$4.74 MX$82.9

-57.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 NIO 46.32

$1.65 MX$28.80

-23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NIO 56.0

$2.75 MX$48.15

-44.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 NIO 42.74

$1.87 MX$32.77

-37.43%

Eggs

$1.87 NIO 68.3

$2.50 MX$43.72

-25.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 NIO 285

$10.20 MX$178

-23.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 NIO 237

$8.25 MX$144

-21.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 NIO 298

$11.82 MX$207

-31.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 NIO 146

$3.01 MX$52.6

32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.83 NIO 30.35

$1.81 MX$31.67

-54.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 NIO 67.2

$2.00 MX$34.96

-8.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 NIO 79.4

$2.00 MX$34.89

8.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 NIO 118

$2.08 MX$36.45

54.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NIO 79.2

$2.27 MX$39.72

-4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 NIO 39.10

$1.46 MX$25.47

-26.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NIO 38.70

$1.08 MX$18.82

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 NIO 99.4

$4.35 MX$76.0

-37.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 NIO 366

$16.99 MX$297

-41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NIO 51.9

$1.73 MX$30.31

-17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NIO 80.8

$3.58 MX$62.5

-38.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 NIO 53.8

$1.33 MX$23.18

10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 NIO 251

$5.25 MX$91.8

30.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 NIO 45.37

$1.34 MX$23.37

-7.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.5K NIO 825.0K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

16.04%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.2K NIO 958.4K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

9.80%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$42.79 NIO 1,567

$40.69 MX$712

5.16%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.45 NIO 383

$26.87 MX$470

-61.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.21 NIO 1,326

$30.51 MX$534

18.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.32 NIO 1,111

$52.8 MX$923

-42.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 NIO 297

$6.51 MX$114

24.42%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$123 NIO 4,499

$428 MX$7,485

-71.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 NIO 220.5K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-42.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 NIO 2,780

$57.3 MX$1,001

32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.9 NIO 2,668

$45.50 MX$796

60.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NIO 4,914

$104 MX$1,819

28.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NIO 3,951

$108 MX$1,885

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 NIO 17.0K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-53.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 NIO 14.7K

$623 MX$10.9K

-35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 NIO 35.2K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-54.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 NIO 35.2K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-21.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$354 NIO 13.0K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-65.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.25

11.34

-9.61%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Juan del Sur: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in San Juan del Sur and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 193% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in San Juan del Sur vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $292 per month, with San Juan del Sur cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Juan del Sur vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan del Sur and Mexico City differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,061 vs $1,456 including rent). San Juan del Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 193% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $123 in San Juan del Sur versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan del Sur – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Juan del Sur but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan del Sur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find San Juan del Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.