Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,527 in Puerto Rico versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,301 in Puerto Rico versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,075 in Puerto Rico versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Puerto Rico is roughly 4% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puerto Rico 14% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 €15.07

$13.18 MX$228

32.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.0

$53.9 MX$932

7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$9.42 MX$163

12.74%

Cappuccino

$2.03 €1.75

$3.55 MX$61.4

-42.82%

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

$1.80 €1.55

$1.62 MX$27.98

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.11 MX$19.27

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.12 MX$54.0

-8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.73

$4.63 MX$80.1

-31.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.70 MX$29.43

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.72 MX$47.02

-37.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.91 MX$33.07

-24.08%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.63

$2.54 MX$43.86

20.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 €7.48

$10.03 MX$174

-13.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 €7.21

$8.09 MX$140

3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 €11.44

$11.62 MX$201

14.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.97 MX$51.3

-18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.81 MX$31.24

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$2.01 MX$34.82

-19.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.03 MX$35.20

24.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.12 MX$36.75

-25.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.27 MX$39.25

-25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.40 MX$24.22

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$1.13 MX$19.55

-38.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 €4.33

$4.27 MX$73.9

17.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.86

$15.56 MX$269

-48.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.76 MX$30.39

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$3.60 MX$62.2

-50.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.42

$0.38 MX$6.62

336.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.10 €29.34

$19.18 MX$332

77.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.87

$1.38 MX$23.79

226.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.28 MX$4.78

360.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.10 €14.71

$5.45 MX$94.2

213.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.30 MX$22.55

30.00%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

106.08%

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

$30.4K €26.2K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

31.64%

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

$88.7 €76.3

$40.86 MX$707

117.18%

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

$21.79 €18.75

$26.81 MX$464

-18.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 €26.35

$29.96 MX$518

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 €40.28

$52.0 MX$900

-9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.20 €13.08

$26.84 MX$464

-43.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.57

$6.30 MX$109

58.10%

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

$347 €299

$436 MX$7,544

-20.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,272 €7,116

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-20.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.7 €72.0

$56.7 MX$980

47.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 €28.85

$44.38 MX$768

-24.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €74.5

$103 MX$1,780

-15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 €59.6

$106 MX$1,825

-34.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 €724

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-17.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 €601

$631 MX$10.9K

10.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,153

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 €858

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-19.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,463 €2,979

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-11.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 €1,965

$2,064 MX$35.7K

10.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.34

-69.14%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Puerto Rico and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Puerto Rico vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $288, with Puerto Rico 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

Puerto Rico vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Rico and Mexico City differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,527 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,290 in Puerto Rico and $2,201 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: $842 in Puerto Rico versus $1,022 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 78% less than in Puerto Rico. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $347 in Puerto Rico versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,527 in Puerto Rico, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Puerto Rico. 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, Puerto Rico 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 4% less than in Puerto Rico. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.