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: $772 in San Juan versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,317 in San Juan versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,863 in San Juan versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 51% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 42% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.49 TTD 70.6

$11.12 MX$202

-5.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 TTD 389

$48.99 MX$891

18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 TTD 54.4

$11.23 MX$204

-28.05%

Cappuccino

$3.64 TTD 24.48

$3.76 MX$68.4

-3.19%

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

$1.20 TTD 8.04

$1.65 MX$30.05

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 TTD 4.74

$1.28 MX$23.27

-45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 TTD 14.69

$3.26 MX$59.2

-33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 TTD 19.54

$5.66 MX$103

-48.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 TTD 13.45

$1.81 MX$32.92

10.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 TTD 15.56

$2.94 MX$53.5

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 TTD 19.28

$2.05 MX$37.27

39.51%

Eggs

$3.76 TTD 25.31

$2.93 MX$53.2

28.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 TTD 43.71

$11.95 MX$217

-45.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 TTD 68.8

$9.51 MX$173

7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 TTD 61.7

$14.84 MX$270

-38.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 TTD 37.73

$3.14 MX$57.2

78.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 TTD 16.77

$2.01 MX$36.65

23.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 TTD 24.29

$2.08 MX$37.75

73.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 TTD 29.51

$2.22 MX$40.35

97.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 TTD 5.10

$2.06 MX$37.47

-63.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 TTD 5.07

$1.88 MX$34.14

-60.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 TTD 9.76

$1.48 MX$26.93

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 TTD 7.79

$1.35 MX$24.47

-14.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.47 TTD 36.83

$5.41 MX$98.4

1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.02 TTD 121

$16.86 MX$307

6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 TTD 10.09

$1.98 MX$36.09

-24.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 TTD 19.92

$4.32 MX$78.7

-31.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.27

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 TTD 5.77

$2.10 MX$38.11

-59.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 TTD 6.06

$0.53 MX$9.65

69.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.55 TTD 97.9

$5.41 MX$98.3

168.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 TTD 7.47

$1.52 MX$27.65

-26.97%

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

$36.4K TTD 245.1K

$21.7K MX$395.3K

67.60%

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

$40.5K TTD 272.6K

$24.8K MX$451.4K

63.29%

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

$44.96 TTD 302

$63.0 MX$1,145

-28.60%

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

$41.52 TTD 279

$28.88 MX$525

43.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.45 TTD 306

$33.93 MX$617

33.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,015

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 TTD 59.4

$6.77 MX$123

30.28%

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

$404 TTD 2,719

$428 MX$7,781

-5.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K TTD 74.1K

$11.9K MX$216.0K

-7.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 TTD 374

$70.0 MX$1,274

-20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 TTD 244

$53.7 MX$977

-32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 TTD 604

$110 MX$1,997

-18.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 TTD 605

$115 MX$2,096

-21.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.3

-49.12%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $58.0 in San Juan vs $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $327, with San Juan cheaper for home cooking.

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 102% in total monthly costs ($772 vs $1,561 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,158 in San Juan and $2,341 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $404 in San Juan 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 – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in San Juan versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.