Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan, Philippines and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $727 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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San Juan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Juan and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $727 in San Juan versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

San Juan $727
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,099 in San Juan versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

San Juan $1,099
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,471 in San Juan versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

San Juan $1,471
Mexico City $3,490

Living in San Juan costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 47% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$10.62 MX$200

-62.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.19 ₱1,031

$48.35 MX$909

-66.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 ₱178

$10.35 MX$194

-72.95%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₱166

$3.69 MX$69.4

-29.27%

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

$0.61 ₱38.76

$1.67 MX$31.32

-63.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.30

$1.27 MX$23.78

-74.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.2

$3.19 MX$60.0

-68.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱98.2

$5.31 MX$99.7

-71.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.72 MX$32.41

-2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱72.3

$3.04 MX$57.1

-62.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$1.94 MX$36.48

-53.09%

Eggs

$1.77 ₱113

$2.89 MX$54.3

-38.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.98 ₱317

$10.97 MX$206

-54.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₱211

$9.25 MX$174

-64.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱445

$15.13 MX$284

-53.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₱140

$3.05 MX$57.3

-27.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 ₱88.9

$1.94 MX$36.48

-27.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ₱145

$2.03 MX$38.06

11.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 ₱63.9

$2.31 MX$43.50

-56.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.04 MX$38.25

-15.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ₱108

$1.80 MX$33.83

-6.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₱38.16

$1.48 MX$27.80

-59.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.4

$1.27 MX$23.82

-29.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₱172

$5.30 MX$99.7

-49.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 ₱479

$16.10 MX$303

-53.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.5

$1.98 MX$37.27

-53.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₱111

$4.25 MX$79.9

-59.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.91

$0.31 MX$5.73

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ₱731

$19.73 MX$371

-41.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.54

$1.84 MX$34.53

-59.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.36

$0.53 MX$10.03

-60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱119

$5.30 MX$99.5

-64.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱74.5

$1.51 MX$28.39

-22.52%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$21.8K MX$408.8K

-3.39%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$24.0K MX$450.8K

-20.15%

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

$136 ₱8,678

$63.0 MX$1,184

116.34%

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

$14.17 ₱902

$27.39 MX$515

-48.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.95 ₱1,525

$35.67 MX$670

-32.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.03 ₱1,722

$58.9 MX$1,108

-54.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱329

$23.64 MX$444

-78.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 ₱319

$6.40 MX$120

-21.72%

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

$70.3 ₱4,480

$432 MX$8,111

-83.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,442 ₱155.5K

$11.4K MX$214.7K

-78.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.72 ₱1,829

$68.2 MX$1,282

-57.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 ₱1,224

$53.1 MX$999

-63.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₱4,520

$108 MX$2,026

-34.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 ₱3,521

$117 MX$2,204

-52.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.1K

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-75.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$710 MX$13.4K

-76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₱31.4K

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.7K

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-74.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 ₱146.8K

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-36.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 ₱75.5K

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-44.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$235 ₱15.0K

$946 MX$17.8K

-75.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.35

-40.53%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$174 24%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 27.7% $48

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$170 23.4%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 318% $540

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$169 23.3%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 88.6% $150

Eating Out

San Juan

$84 11.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 138% $115

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$78 10.8%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 98.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$37 5.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 93.7% $35

Getting Around

San Juan

$14 2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 78.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in San Juan and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in San Juan vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $320 per month, with San Juan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 San Juan

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

19:08 7:08 PM

14 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,347

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Juan Mexico City 14,220 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $727 in San Juan and $1,608 in Mexico City, so San Juan is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in San Juan. 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: $269 in San Juan versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Juan runs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $70 in San Juan versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $727 in San Juan versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.