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: $2,215 in San Juan versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,318 in San Juan versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,422 in San Juan versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan is roughly 35% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Juan 61% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 $18.92

$12.11 MX$206

56.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 $82.5

$52.2 MX$887

57.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 $9.32

$10.90 MX$185

-14.50%

Cappuccino

$3.71 $3.71

$4.05 MX$68.9

-8.40%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$1.72 MX$29.15

2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.38 MX$23.41

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.47 MX$58.9

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$5.81 MX$98.8

-14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.85 MX$31.50

23.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.22 MX$54.8

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.09 MX$35.44

14.83%

Eggs

$7.55 $7.55

$2.91 MX$49.44

159.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 $12.38

$12.49 MX$212

-0.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 $9.73

$10.11 MX$172

-3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$15.89 MX$270

-15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.31 MX$56.3

54.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.13 MX$36.14

22.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.19 MX$37.22

124.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.45 MX$41.59

98.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.19 MX$37.20

70.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.90 MX$32.37

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.62 MX$27.45

118.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.35 MX$22.94

17.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.43 MX$92.2

124.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$17.59 MX$299

-11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.07 MX$35.14

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.75 MX$80.7

-17.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 $0.77

$0.34 MX$5.78

126.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.40 $30.40

$21.58 MX$367

40.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 MX$34.67

21.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.58 MX$9.82

156.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.18 $41.18

$5.97 MX$101

589.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.62 MX$27.46

-28.40%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$22.8K MX$387.6K

73.94%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$26.7K MX$453.1K

5.51%

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

$326 $326

$65.2 MX$1,109

400.34%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$29.87 MX$508

130.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$36.55 MX$621

91.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 $40.23

$61.0 MX$1,037

-34.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.67 $7.67

$26.70 MX$454

-71.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 $10.36

$6.85 MX$116

51.24%

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

$837 $837

$453 MX$7,705

84.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$13.4K MX$227.2K

-7.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$75.0 MX$1,274

-24.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.5 $60.5

$55.3 MX$940

9.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$114 MX$1,931

-4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$123 MX$2,084

-8.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 $1,789

$1,134 MX$19.3K

57.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 $846

$712 MX$12.1K

18.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,909 $2,909

$2,571 MX$43.7K

13.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$1,311 MX$22.3K

11.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,363 $7,363

$3,993 MX$67.8K

84.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,334 $3,334

$2,095 MX$35.6K

59.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,743 $2,743

$1,047 MX$17.8K

162.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.3

-42.04%

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

Last update for San Juan: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,789 in San Juan and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan pays 162% 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: $82.0 in San Juan vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City 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 35% in total monthly costs ($2,215 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% higher in San Juan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,789 in San Juan versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 41% less than in San Juan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $837 in San Juan versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,215 in San Juan, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.