Mexico City vs San Jose, Costa Rica - Cost of Living Comparison

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Livingcost

Mexico City San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1331
$1398
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3182
$3421
🏠 One person rent
$721
$662
🏘️ Family rent
$1296
$1102
🍽️ Food expenses
$410
$509
🚐 Transport expenses
$93.3
$78.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$892
$981
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
8 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
92
60
😀 Quality of life
72
74
🏙️ Population
9.21M
342K

The cost of living in Mexico City is 5% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 4418th and 4260th ($1331 vs $1398) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 5th and 2nd in Mexico and Costa Rica, respectively. Check Mexico vs Costa Rica comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.7 months in Mexico City compared to 0.7 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. Mexico City ranked 1st best city to live in Mexico vs San Jose, Costa Rica ranked 1st in Costa Rica, while ranked 3317th and 2458th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Mexico City vs San Jose, Costa Rica infographic

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Prices in Mexico City vs San Jose, Costa Rica

Prices for goods and services in Mexico City and San Jose are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Mexico City San Jose
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$12
$10.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$41.1
$51.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.8
$9.89
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.22
$2.74
☕ Cappuccino
$4.26
$4.55
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.71
$2.09
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$988
$804
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$578
$492
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1819
$1349
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1067
$868
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$30.9
$54.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$47.8
$84.9
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$30
$52.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.71%
10.54%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3569
$2935
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2491
$1711
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.38
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$22.5
$42.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.33
$16.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.34
$1.43
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.7
$2.08
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.28
$2.38
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.85
$2.16
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.67
$3.11
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.93
$8.68
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.2
$13.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.8
$4.14
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$1.51
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.09
$4.29
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.95
$3.33
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.02
$3.53
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.17
$3.36
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.81
$1.94
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.07
$3.14
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12
$19.2
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.68
$2.44
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.35
$5.28
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$8.09
$8.15
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.69
$8.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.07
$3.05
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.99
$3.79
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$53.3
$56.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$5.98
$8.97
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$44.1
$94.6
💇 Haircut, simple
$15.1
$16.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$57.7
$60
👟 Brand Sneakers
$98.9
$126
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$427
$609
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$11015
$12743

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Cities near Mexico City

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7.1 mi Naucalpan
$908
14 km or 8.7 mi Tlalnepantla
$932
17 km or 10 mi Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl
$898
19 km or 12 mi Ciudad Lopez Mateos
$942
22 km or 14 mi Ecatepec de Morelos
$777
25 km or 16 mi Tultitlan de Mariano Escobedo
$869
25 km or 16 mi Chicoloapan de Juarez
$962
26 km or 16 mi Cuautitlan Izcalli
$818
29 km or 18 mi Texcoco de Mora
$904
30 km or 19 mi Tultepec
$851
31 km or 19 mi Chalco de Diaz Covarrubias
$938
42 km or 26 mi Zumpango
$868
55 km or 34 mi Toluca
$926
56 km or 35 mi Cuernavaca
$819
60 km or 37 mi Jiutepec
$842
70 km or 44 mi Cuautla
$977
89 km or 55 mi Pachuca
$717
93 km or 58 mi Atlixco
$914
105 km or 65 mi San Jose Villa de Allende
$905
106 km or 66 mi Puebla
$998
107 km or 67 mi Taxco
$912
126 km or 79 mi Iguala
$936
140 km or 87 mi San Juan del Rio
$981
184 km or 114 mi Queretaro
$1184
192 km or 119 mi Teziutlan
$875
211 km or 131 mi Chilpancingo
$724
213 km or 132 mi Tehuacan
$860
214 km or 133 mi Celaya
$764
216 km or 134 mi Poza Rica
$858
217 km or 135 mi Morelia
$873
224 km or 139 mi Cortazar
$846
224 km or 139 mi Orizaba
$875
225 km or 140 mi Yuriria
$894
229 km or 143 mi Coatepec
$784
234 km or 145 mi Xalapa
$643
236 km or 146 mi San Miguel de Allende
$1491
239 km or 149 mi Cordoba
$893
250 km or 155 mi Salamanca
$896
269 km or 167 mi Irapuato
$860
281 km or 174 mi Zacapu
$1030

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1335
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1303
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1241
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$821
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1288
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1236
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$953
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1714
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$864
246 km or 153 mi David
$925
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$768
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$698
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$790
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$760
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$673
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$467
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$735
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$682
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1150
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$770
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1150
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1188
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$981
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1400
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1560
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1377
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1371
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$836
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1097
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1090
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$739
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$729
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1362
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1273
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1262
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1238
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1182
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$627
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$780