Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $40,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

238

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,929

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael, CA and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Rafael, CA and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,929 in San Rafael, CA versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

San Rafael, CA $4,929
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,391 in San Rafael, CA versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

San Rafael, CA $6,391
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,853 in San Rafael, CA versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

San Rafael, CA $7,853
Mexico City $3,333

Living in San Rafael, CA is roughly 215% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Rafael, CA 265% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.68 $24.68

$10.75 MX$199

129.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$50.3 MX$929

138.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.10 MX$205

8.56%

Cappuccino

$4.74 $4.74

$3.68 MX$68.1

28.80%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.65 MX$30.42

83.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.30 MX$24.08

125.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.32 MX$61.3

62.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.54 MX$102

25.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.77 MX$32.68

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.05 MX$56.4

47.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$2.01 MX$37.20

382.09%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$2.77 MX$51.1

95.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.21 $23.21

$11.91 MX$220

94.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$9.33 MX$172

65.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.15 $18.15

$15.02 MX$278

20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.08 MX$56.8

147.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.95 MX$35.97

50.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$2.03 MX$37.54

209.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$2.21 MX$40.92

288.24%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.02 MX$37.41

191.58%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.82 MX$33.67

198.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.52 MX$28.07

101.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.28 MX$23.65

203.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$5.27 MX$97.4

105.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.96 $12.96

$16.12 MX$298

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.95 MX$36.05

14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.25 MX$78.6

-29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.31 MX$5.82

561.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$19.85 MX$367

230.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.00 MX$36.93

105.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.44 $4.44

$0.53 MX$9.86

737.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.84 $28.84

$5.62 MX$104

413.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.52 MX$28.07

-5.26%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

52.35%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

4.99%

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

$253 $253

$62.5 MX$1,155

305.60%

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

$85.4 $85.4

$28.77 MX$532

196.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$34.45 MX$637

77.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$57.1 MX$1,055

116.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.21 $30.21

$24.81 MX$458

21.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$6.67 MX$123

97.00%

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

$2,088 $2,088

$431 MX$7,964

384.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

113.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$70.8 MX$1,308

-15.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 $42.92

$51.8 MX$958

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 $96.8

$109 MX$2,011

-11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$112 MX$2,076

12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,074 $3,074

$1,051 MX$19.4K

192.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,202 $3,202

$665 MX$12.3K

381.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,278 $4,278

$2,346 MX$43.3K

82.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 $3,860

$1,227 MX$22.7K

214.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,456 $7,456

$3,554 MX$65.7K

109.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,281 $5,281

$1,977 MX$36.5K

167.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 $7,077

$975 MX$18.0K

626.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

11.3

-41.42%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$3.2K 65%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 79.2% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$575 11.7%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 43.9% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$400 8.1%

Mexico City

$126 8% 68.6% $274

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$355 7.2%

Mexico City

$203 13% 42.9% $152

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 53.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$147 3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 5.5% $8.1

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$100 2%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 74.3% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,074 in San Rafael, CA and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 626% 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: $120 in San Rafael, CA vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $575 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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San Rafael, CA Mexico City 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

San Rafael, CA
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, CA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Rafael, CA and Mexico City differ by about 215% in total monthly costs ($4,929 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 626% higher in San Rafael, CA, 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: $3,074 in San Rafael, CA versus $1,051 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 231% less than in San Rafael, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,088 in San Rafael, CA versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in San Rafael, CA. 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.

Safety-wise, San Rafael, CA 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 215% less than in San Rafael, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.