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: $1,050 in Spanish Town versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Spanish Town versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Spanish Town versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Spanish Town costs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Spanish Town is 24% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.10 JMD 2,528

$12.14 MX$206

32.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 JMD 11.8K

$53.9 MX$914

39.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 JMD 1,404

$11.09 MX$188

-19.39%

Cappuccino

$5.21 JMD 818

$4.10 MX$69.5

27.07%

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

$1.20 JMD 188

$1.68 MX$28.53

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 JMD 114

$1.39 MX$23.55

-47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 JMD 352

$3.33 MX$56.5

-32.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 483

$5.88 MX$99.7

-47.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.03 JMD 632

$1.85 MX$31.41

117.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 JMD 581

$3.17 MX$53.8

16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 250

$2.07 MX$35.13

-23.19%

Eggs

$3.64 JMD 571

$2.93 MX$49.67

24.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 JMD 1,825

$12.59 MX$214

-7.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 JMD 990

$10.11 MX$172

-37.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 JMD 1,596

$16.09 MX$273

-36.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 JMD 934

$3.39 MX$57.5

75.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 JMD 606

$2.08 MX$35.26

85.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.36 JMD 1,156

$2.12 MX$35.97

247.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 JMD 493

$2.41 MX$40.95

30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 JMD 517

$2.13 MX$36.11

54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 334

$2.01 MX$34.02

5.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 JMD 472

$1.55 MX$26.21

93.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 JMD 236

$1.36 MX$23.15

10.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 JMD 1,454

$5.77 MX$97.8

60.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 JMD 1,812

$17.74 MX$301

-35.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 445

$2.07 MX$35.11

37.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 JMD 635

$4.61 MX$78.3

-12.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 191

$2.05 MX$34.84

-40.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 JMD 500

$0.58 MX$9.79

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 JMD 1,019

$6.07 MX$103

6.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 212

$1.55 MX$26.34

-12.90%

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

$44.4K JMD 7.0M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

94.15%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

21.95%

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

$172 JMD 27.1K

$67.4 MX$1,144

155.50%

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

$29.62 JMD 4,652

$30.62 MX$520

-3.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,168

$37.24 MX$632

39.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 JMD 2,072

$7.11 MX$121

85.51%

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

$367 JMD 57.7K

$456 MX$7,739

-19.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,158 JMD 1.3M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-40.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.87 JMD 3,750

$74.2 MX$1,259

-67.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.43 JMD 4,938

$57.0 MX$967

-44.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 JMD 12.3K

$115 MX$1,958

-32.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 JMD 16.2K

$122 MX$2,061

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 JMD 99.0K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-75.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 JMD 80.9K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-60.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,148 JMD 180.3K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

6.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.3

-16.37%

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

Last update for Spanish Town: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Spanish Town pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Spanish Town vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $345 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

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

Spanish Town and Mexico City differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,050 vs $1,677 including rent). Spanish Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% 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.

Childcare runs $367 in Spanish Town 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 Spanish Town – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,050 in Spanish Town versus $1,677 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 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.