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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in San Juan versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,302 in San Juan versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,797 in San Juan versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 40% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ₱175

$13.18 MX$228

-78.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.61 ₱531

$53.9 MX$932

-84.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.59 ₱222

$9.42 MX$163

-61.89%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ₱183

$3.55 MX$61.4

-16.34%

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

$0.83 ₱50.9

$1.62 MX$27.98

-48.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₱27.49

$1.11 MX$19.27

-59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ₱90.8

$3.12 MX$54.0

-52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱130

$4.63 MX$80.1

-54.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ₱106

$1.70 MX$29.43

1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ₱100

$2.72 MX$47.02

-40.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱57.9

$1.91 MX$33.07

-50.79%

Eggs

$2.01 ₱124

$2.54 MX$43.86

-20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 ₱503

$10.03 MX$174

-18.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 ₱324

$8.09 MX$140

-35.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ₱666

$11.62 MX$201

-7.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱142

$2.97 MX$51.3

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ₱94.1

$1.81 MX$31.24

-15.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ₱196

$2.01 MX$34.82

57.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱70.8

$2.03 MX$35.20

-43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ₱108

$2.12 MX$36.75

-17.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 ₱212

$2.27 MX$39.25

51.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱66.1

$1.40 MX$24.22

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₱55.4

$1.13 MX$19.55

-20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 ₱177

$4.27 MX$73.9

-32.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₱452

$15.56 MX$269

-52.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₱45.66

$1.76 MX$30.39

-57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ₱99.4

$3.60 MX$62.2

-55.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₱9.57

$0.38 MX$6.62

-57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₱41.69

$1.38 MX$23.79

-50.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.86

$0.28 MX$4.78

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 ₱129

$5.45 MX$94.2

-61.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱68.4

$1.30 MX$22.55

-14.62%

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

$28.1K ₱1.7M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

50.42%

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

$17.7K ₱1.1M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-23.58%

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

$128 ₱7,916

$40.86 MX$707

214.19%

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

$32.96 ₱2,032

$26.81 MX$464

22.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.09 ₱1,609

$29.96 MX$518

-12.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₱4,437

$52.0 MX$900

38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.37 ₱270

$26.84 MX$464

-83.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 ₱251

$6.30 MX$109

-35.40%

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

$145 ₱8,965

$436 MX$7,544

-66.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,240 ₱261.5K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-59.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.32 ₱2,794

$56.7 MX$980

-20.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.62 ₱2,134

$44.38 MX$768

-21.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 ₱4,260

$103 MX$1,780

-32.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ₱7,209

$106 MX$1,825

10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱16.6K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-73.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ₱6,621

$631 MX$10.9K

-82.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 ₱78.5K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-40.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ₱24.1K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-68.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,438 ₱150.4K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-37.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,112 ₱68.6K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-46.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$242 ₱14.9K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-78.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

11.34

-45.59%

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

Last update for San Juan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in San Juan and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 361% 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: $9.00 in San Juan vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $288 per month, with San Juan 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 vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan and Mexico City differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($806 vs $1,467 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 361% 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: $269 in San Juan versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in San Juan 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 – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $806 in San Juan versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.