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: $1,332 in San Juan versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,095 in San Juan versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,859 in San Juan versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan costs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 1% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 TTD 50.4

$12.98 MX$226

-42.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 TTD 404

$53.1 MX$923

12.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 TTD 49.49

$9.72 MX$169

-25.00%

Cappuccino

$3.72 TTD 25.29

$3.75 MX$65.2

-0.80%

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

$1.10 TTD 7.46

$1.57 MX$27.30

-29.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 TTD 4.80

$1.13 MX$19.64

-37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 TTD 12.75

$3.18 MX$55.3

-40.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 TTD 20.32

$4.66 MX$81.1

-35.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 TTD 17.95

$1.62 MX$28.21

62.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 TTD 18.56

$2.71 MX$47.09

0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 TTD 17.58

$1.88 MX$32.70

37.77%

Eggs

$4.89 TTD 33.22

$2.51 MX$43.65

94.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 TTD 55.4

$10.08 MX$175

-19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 TTD 71.2

$8.29 MX$144

26.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 TTD 96.9

$11.94 MX$208

19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 TTD 39.05

$2.86 MX$49.77

101.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 TTD 17.07

$1.75 MX$30.45

43.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 TTD 28.84

$2.08 MX$36.27

104.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 TTD 32.74

$1.97 MX$34.27

144.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 TTD 10.13

$2.16 MX$37.58

-31.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 TTD 11.14

$2.18 MX$37.94

-24.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 TTD 13.21

$1.39 MX$24.20

40.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 TTD 9.98

$1.12 MX$19.57

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 TTD 41.30

$4.20 MX$73.1

44.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.36 TTD 131

$14.25 MX$248

35.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 TTD 14.85

$1.76 MX$30.68

24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 TTD 18.65

$3.68 MX$64.1

-25.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 TTD 6.80

$1.39 MX$24.12

-28.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.36

$0.30 MX$5.29

310.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.72 TTD 99.9

$5.42 MX$94.3

171.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.41

$1.35 MX$23.50

-19.26%

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

$33.4K TTD 226.5K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

76.69%

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

$38.2K TTD 259.2K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

64.87%

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

$79.8 TTD 542

$40.82 MX$710

95.52%

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

$46.97 TTD 319

$27.50 MX$479

70.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 TTD 426

$30.38 MX$529

106.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 TTD 67.7

$6.27 MX$109

59.01%

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

$323 TTD 2,191

$436 MX$7,588

-26.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,306 TTD 49.6K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-30.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 TTD 401

$56.8 MX$988

4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 TTD 258

$44.79 MX$779

-15.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 TTD 989

$103 MX$1,789

41.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 TTD 876

$108 MX$1,878

19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 TTD 5,119

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 TTD 3,042

$620 MX$10.8K

-27.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 TTD 7,134

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-50.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 TTD 5,112

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-39.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.34

-52.56%

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

Last update for San Juan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $754 in San Juan and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in San Juan vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $286 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,332 vs $1,484 including rent). San Juan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,998 in San Juan and $2,225 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $754 in San Juan versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 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 $60.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,332 in San Juan versus $1,484 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 11% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.