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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in San Rafael versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,106 in San Rafael versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,939 in San Rafael versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in San Rafael costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Rafael is 8% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.83 ARS 16.3K

$12.14 MX$206

-10.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 ARS 76.4K

$53.9 MX$914

-6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.33 ARS 21.6K

$11.09 MX$188

29.22%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ARS 6,629

$4.10 MX$69.5

7.07%

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

$2.36 ARS 3,555

$1.68 MX$28.53

40.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ARS 2,850

$1.39 MX$23.55

35.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 ARS 5,949

$3.33 MX$56.5

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ARS 6,820

$5.88 MX$99.7

-23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,080

$1.85 MX$31.41

-25.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ARS 3,484

$3.17 MX$53.8

-27.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ARS 4,037

$2.07 MX$35.13

29.47%

Eggs

$3.23 ARS 4,877

$2.93 MX$49.67

10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.41 ARS 21.7K

$12.59 MX$214

14.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 ARS 9,577

$10.11 MX$172

-37.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ARS 16.3K

$16.09 MX$273

-32.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ARS 3,486

$3.39 MX$57.5

-31.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ARS 3,378

$2.08 MX$35.26

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,037

$2.12 MX$35.97

-36.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 ARS 4,958

$2.41 MX$40.95

36.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ARS 2,963

$2.13 MX$36.11

-7.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,268

$2.01 MX$34.02

-25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ARS 3,020

$1.55 MX$26.21

29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 ARS 3,790

$1.36 MX$23.15

84.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ARS 4,181

$5.77 MX$97.8

-51.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 ARS 7,575

$17.74 MX$301

-71.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ARS 2,664

$2.07 MX$35.11

-14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ARS 4,589

$4.61 MX$78.3

-34.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ARS 1,548

$0.37 MX$6.21

178.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ARS 3,057

$2.05 MX$34.84

-0.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ARS 1,526

$0.58 MX$9.79

74.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ARS 7,466

$6.07 MX$103

-18.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,888

$1.55 MX$26.34

-19.35%

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

$27.4K ARS 41.3M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

19.59%

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

$33.1K ARS 50.0M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

21.68%

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

$133 ARS 200.3K

$67.4 MX$1,144

97.02%

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

$17.38 ARS 26.2K

$30.62 MX$520

-43.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.55 ARS 35.5K

$37.24 MX$632

-36.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 ARS 45.0K

$61.5 MX$1,043

-51.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 ARS 10.6K

$7.11 MX$121

-1.41%

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

$174 ARS 262.2K

$456 MX$7,739

-61.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,135 ARS 6.2M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-69.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 ARS 173.6K

$74.2 MX$1,259

55.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$127 ARS 191.6K

$57.0 MX$967

122.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ARS 211.8K

$115 MX$1,958

21.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ARS 188.4K

$122 MX$2,061

2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ARS 721.4K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-58.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ARS 472.6K

$709 MX$12.0K

-55.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 ARS 1.5M

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 ARS 1.2M

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-40.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 ARS 3.6M

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-40.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

422.12%

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

Last update for San Rafael: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $478 in San Rafael and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in San Rafael vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $345 per month, with San Rafael 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 Rafael vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Rafael and Mexico City differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,677 including rent). San Rafael is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,910 in San Rafael and $2,515 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: $478 in San Rafael versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $174 in San Rafael versus $456 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 Rafael – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in San Rafael versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Rafael but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Rafael 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.

Safety-wise, San Rafael and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Rafael gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.