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: $838 in Spanish Town versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,404 in Spanish Town versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Spanish Town versus $3,174 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 38% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 JMD 1,149

$12.98 MX$223

-43.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 JMD 9,679

$52.6 MX$903

16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.52 JMD 1,340

$9.43 MX$162

-9.65%

Cappuccino

$4.44 JMD 699

$3.57 MX$61.3

24.37%

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

$1.33 JMD 208

$1.61 MX$27.55

-17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 JMD 120

$1.15 MX$19.81

-33.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 404

$3.15 MX$54.0

-18.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 JMD 500

$4.86 MX$83.4

-34.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 JMD 299

$1.70 MX$29.17

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 JMD 405

$2.64 MX$45.23

-2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.42 JMD 66.3

$1.90 MX$32.67

-77.89%

Eggs

$3.22 JMD 507

$2.54 MX$43.62

26.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.14 JMD 494

$10.08 MX$173

-68.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.98 JMD 311

$8.29 MX$142

-76.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.80 JMD 440

$11.57 MX$199

-75.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 JMD 347

$3.03 MX$52.0

-27.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 JMD 291

$1.71 MX$29.35

8.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 JMD 252

$2.05 MX$35.16

-21.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 JMD 287

$2.06 MX$35.36

-11.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 JMD 332

$2.06 MX$35.43

2.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 JMD 304

$2.17 MX$37.25

-11.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 JMD 468

$1.40 MX$24.08

112.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 JMD 144

$1.12 MX$19.26

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.76 JMD 1,377

$4.29 MX$73.7

104.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 JMD 1,793

$15.41 MX$265

-26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 JMD 243

$1.67 MX$28.74

-7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 JMD 389

$3.69 MX$63.3

-33.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 JMD 178

$1.38 MX$23.70

-18.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 JMD 509

$0.28 MX$4.74

1057.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 JMD 995

$5.42 MX$92.9

16.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.28 MX$21.98

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

$42.2K JMD 6.6M

$19.0K MX$325.8K

122.56%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$23.5K MX$402.7K

45.14%

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

$162 JMD 25.5K

$41.02 MX$704

294.83%

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

$21.92 JMD 3,448

$26.92 MX$462

-18.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 JMD 7,982

$29.69 MX$510

70.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 JMD 2,078

$6.18 MX$106

113.75%

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

$226 JMD 35.6K

$427 MX$7,331

-47.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,483 JMD 390.4K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-76.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.33 JMD 4,141

$56.8 MX$975

-53.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 JMD 4,000

$44.83 MX$769

-43.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.4K

$105 MX$1,794

-30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 JMD 12.1K

$106 MX$1,819

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 JMD 24.5K

$995 MX$17.1K

-84.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 JMD 19.4K

$621 MX$10.7K

-80.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 JMD 97.0K

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-71.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 JMD 59.1K

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-70.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,160 JMD 182.5K

$1,107 MX$19.0K

4.79%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $156 in Spanish Town and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Spanish Town vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $288, 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 73% in total monthly costs ($838 vs $1,447 including rent). Spanish Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Spanish Town pays 5% more on average, 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: $156 in Spanish Town versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Spanish Town versus $427 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 $62.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $838 in Spanish Town versus $1,447 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 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.