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: $861 in Spanish Town versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,433 in Spanish Town versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,005 in Spanish Town versus $3,278 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 36% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 JMD 1,158

$12.98 MX$226

-43.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 JMD 9,809

$53.1 MX$923

17.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 JMD 1,383

$9.72 MX$169

-9.67%

Cappuccino

$4.47 JMD 704

$3.75 MX$65.2

19.20%

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

$1.30 JMD 205

$1.57 MX$27.30

-17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$1.13 MX$19.64

-33.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 406

$3.18 MX$55.3

-19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 490

$4.66 MX$81.1

-33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 JMD 291

$1.62 MX$28.21

14.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 JMD 421

$2.71 MX$47.09

-1.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.45 JMD 71.1

$1.88 MX$32.70

-76.06%

Eggs

$3.22 JMD 507

$2.51 MX$43.65

28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.19 JMD 503

$10.08 MX$175

-68.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.99 JMD 314

$8.29 MX$144

-76.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.79 JMD 439

$11.94 MX$208

-76.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 JMD 353

$2.86 MX$49.77

-21.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 JMD 294

$1.75 MX$30.45

6.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 JMD 242

$2.08 MX$36.27

-26.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 JMD 305

$1.97 MX$34.27

-1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 JMD 333

$2.16 MX$37.58

-1.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 JMD 314

$2.18 MX$37.94

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 JMD 476

$1.39 MX$24.20

117.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 JMD 144

$1.12 MX$19.57

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.91 JMD 1,404

$4.20 MX$73.1

112.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,789

$14.25 MX$248

-20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 JMD 242

$1.76 MX$30.68

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 JMD 388

$3.68 MX$64.1

-32.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 JMD 175

$1.39 MX$24.12

-20.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.27 JMD 514

$0.30 MX$5.29

990.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 JMD 988

$5.42 MX$94.3

15.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 202

$1.35 MX$23.50

-5.19%

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

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

125.99%

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

$34.0K JMD 5.3M

$23.2K MX$402.8K

46.67%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$40.82 MX$710

294.22%

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

$22.23 JMD 3,501

$27.50 MX$479

-19.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 JMD 7,882

$30.38 MX$529

64.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 JMD 2,064

$6.27 MX$109

109.09%

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

$225 JMD 35.4K

$436 MX$7,588

-48.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,457 JMD 386.9K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-76.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,052

$56.8 MX$988

-54.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.06 JMD 3,947

$44.79 MX$779

-44.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 JMD 11.1K

$103 MX$1,789

-31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 JMD 12.2K

$108 MX$1,878

-28.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 JMD 24.5K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-84.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$128 JMD 20.1K

$620 MX$10.8K

-79.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 JMD 100.5K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 JMD 58.8K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-69.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,166 JMD 183.7K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

9.29%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $156 in Spanish Town and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Spanish Town pays 9% 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 $195 vs $286, 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 72% in total monthly costs ($861 vs $1,484 including rent). Spanish Town is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Spanish Town pays 9% 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 $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Spanish Town versus $436 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 $861 in Spanish Town versus $1,484 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 72% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.