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: $1,022 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,719 in San Juan del Sur versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,417 in San Juan del Sur versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan del Sur costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan del Sur is 24% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.25 NIO 156

$13.18 MX$228

-67.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.80 NIO 1,238

$53.9 MX$932

-37.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 NIO 202

$9.42 MX$163

-41.40%

Cappuccino

$2.35 NIO 86.0

$3.55 MX$61.4

-33.80%

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

$0.85 NIO 31.14

$1.62 MX$27.98

-47.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NIO 25.06

$1.11 MX$19.27

-38.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 NIO 47.48

$3.12 MX$54.0

-58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 NIO 73.9

$4.63 MX$80.1

-56.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 NIO 46.20

$1.70 MX$29.43

-25.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 NIO 54.1

$2.72 MX$47.02

-45.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 NIO 42.88

$1.91 MX$33.07

-38.74%

Eggs

$1.96 NIO 71.7

$2.54 MX$43.86

-22.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 NIO 285

$10.03 MX$174

-22.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 NIO 234

$8.09 MX$140

-21.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.97 NIO 292

$11.62 MX$201

-31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 NIO 141

$2.97 MX$51.3

29.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 NIO 30.90

$1.81 MX$31.24

-53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 NIO 65.1

$2.01 MX$34.82

-11.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 NIO 82.8

$2.03 MX$35.20

11.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 NIO 115

$2.12 MX$36.75

48.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NIO 79.5

$2.27 MX$39.25

-4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 NIO 36.99

$1.40 MX$24.22

-27.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NIO 36.93

$1.13 MX$19.55

-10.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 NIO 95.4

$4.27 MX$73.9

-38.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 NIO 354

$15.56 MX$269

-37.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 NIO 53.5

$1.76 MX$30.39

-17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NIO 81.9

$3.60 MX$62.2

-38.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 NIO 53.9

$1.38 MX$23.79

6.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.83 NIO 250

$5.45 MX$94.2

25.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 NIO 45.66

$1.30 MX$22.55

-3.85%

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

$22.9K NIO 838.0K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

22.44%

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

$25.9K NIO 948.6K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

11.98%

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

$41.71 NIO 1,528

$40.86 MX$707

2.08%

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

$10.58 NIO 388

$26.81 MX$464

-60.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.56 NIO 1,339

$29.96 MX$518

22.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 NIO 1,087

$52.0 MX$900

-42.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 NIO 286

$6.30 MX$109

23.81%

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

$123 NIO 4,505

$436 MX$7,544

-71.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,973 NIO 218.8K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-42.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 NIO 2,884

$56.7 MX$980

39.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.8 NIO 2,702

$44.38 MX$768

66.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 NIO 4,761

$103 MX$1,780

26.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NIO 4,025

$106 MX$1,825

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 NIO 16.9K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-54.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 NIO 15.0K

$631 MX$10.9K

-35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 NIO 35.0K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-55.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 NIO 35.1K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-22.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 NIO 10.2K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-74.93%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $461 in San Juan del Sur and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 299% 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 $223 vs $288 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,022 vs $1,467 including rent). San Juan del Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 299% less. 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: $461 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,022 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 $436 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 $1,022 in San Juan del Sur versus $1,467 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 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.