Cost of Living Comparison Between Spanish Town and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Spanish Town and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Spanish Town versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Spanish Town versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Spanish Town versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Spanish Town costs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Spanish Town is 35% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 JMD 1,210

$13.14 MX$229

-41.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 JMD 9,846

$53.5 MX$934

16.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 JMD 1,347

$9.33 MX$163

-8.25%

Cappuccino

$4.40 JMD 692

$3.70 MX$64.5

18.92%

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

$1.31 JMD 206

$1.60 MX$27.98

-18.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 110

$1.12 MX$19.49

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 382

$3.14 MX$54.7

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 488

$4.85 MX$84.5

-35.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 JMD 301

$1.65 MX$28.84

16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 JMD 404

$2.71 MX$47.34

-5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.43 JMD 67.2

$1.91 MX$33.29

-77.49%

Eggs

$3.04 JMD 479

$2.59 MX$45.17

17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.10 JMD 487

$9.81 MX$171

-68.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.91 JMD 300

$8.43 MX$147

-77.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.74 JMD 431

$11.93 MX$208

-77.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 JMD 343

$2.95 MX$51.5

-26.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 JMD 298

$1.74 MX$30.35

8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 JMD 241

$2.04 MX$35.66

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 JMD 288

$2.06 MX$35.93

-11.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$2.15 MX$37.49

-1.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$2.26 MX$39.33

-14.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 JMD 471

$1.39 MX$24.17

115.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 JMD 142

$1.12 MX$19.47

-19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.65 JMD 1,361

$4.22 MX$73.6

104.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 JMD 1,825

$17.51 MX$305

-33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 JMD 244

$1.71 MX$29.82

-9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 JMD 389

$3.63 MX$63.4

-31.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 JMD 169

$1.38 MX$24.00

-21.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 495

$0.28 MX$4.81

1025.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 JMD 999

$5.28 MX$92.0

20.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 JMD 193

$1.36 MX$23.69

-10.29%

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

$43.0K JMD 6.8M

$19.1K MX$333.2K

125.11%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$23.6K MX$411.7K

39.37%

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

$166 JMD 26.2K

$40.53 MX$707

310.76%

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

$22.08 JMD 3,473

$27.38 MX$478

-19.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 JMD 8,033

$30.38 MX$530

68.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 JMD 2,034

$6.19 MX$108

108.89%

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

$230 JMD 36.2K

$425 MX$7,414

-45.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,516 JMD 395.8K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-76.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.46 JMD 4,161

$58.3 MX$1,017

-54.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 JMD 3,973

$44.57 MX$777

-43.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

$103 MX$1,805

-30.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 JMD 12.1K

$109 MX$1,897

-29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 JMD 25.0K

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-84.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 JMD 19.3K

$623 MX$10.9K

-80.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 JMD 99.6K

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 JMD 59.8K

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-68.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,183 JMD 186.0K

$1,052 MX$18.4K

12.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.34

-19.31%

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

Last update for Spanish Town: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $159 in Spanish Town and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Spanish Town vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $293, with Spanish Town 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

Spanish Town vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spanish Town and Mexico City differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($859 vs $1,472 including rent). Spanish Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Spanish Town, 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: $159 in Spanish Town versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Spanish Town versus $425 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 Spanish Town – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $859 in Spanish Town versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Spanish Town but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Spanish Town 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 Spanish Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.