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

Updated:

Livingcost

Mexico City San Jose
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1428
$1454
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3399
$3624
🏠 One person rent
$774
$697
🏘️ Family rent
$1379
$1213
🍽️ Food expenses
$431
$527
🚐 Transport expenses
$103
$78.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1028
$935
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
8 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
93
60
😀 Quality of life
72
72
🏙️ Population
9.21M
335K

The cost of living in Mexico City is 2% less expensive than in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cities ranked 4274th and 4213th ($1428 vs $1454) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 6th 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 0.6 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 3354th and 3173rd among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$11.7
$11.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$43.4
$51
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$10.2
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.53
$2.9
☕ Cappuccino
$4.24
$4.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.8
$2.14
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1035
$821
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$623
$531
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1886
$1484
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1143
$973
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$34.6
$54.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$53.1
$83.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$33.7
$53.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
11.35%
9.69%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3740
$2465
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2224
$1757
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.35
$1
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$24.4
$48.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.19
$15.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.44
$1.41
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.83
$2.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.4
$2.62
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.77
$2.38
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.93
$3.03
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.89
$8.94
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$13.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.98
$4.34
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.57
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.29
$4.35
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$3.48
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.11
$3.75
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.23
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.87
$1.93
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.4
$3.28
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.8
$20.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.83
$2.64
🚬 Cigarette pack
$4.92
$5.46
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.97
$8.15
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.47
$9.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.97
$3.47
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.84
$4.31
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$56.2
$59.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.33
$7.93
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$50.8
$96.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$17.3
$15.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$65.6
$67.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$113
$129
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$473
$704
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$11420
$14663

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Mexico City

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7.1 mi Naucalpan
$975
14 km or 8.7 mi Tlalnepantla
$1008
17 km or 10 mi Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl
$969
19 km or 12 mi Ciudad Lopez Mateos
$1015
22 km or 14 mi Ecatepec de Morelos
$842
25 km or 16 mi Tultitlan de Mariano Escobedo
$941
25 km or 16 mi Chicoloapan de Juarez
$1040
26 km or 16 mi Cuautitlan Izcalli
$880
29 km or 18 mi Texcoco de Mora
$982
30 km or 19 mi Tultepec
$917
31 km or 19 mi Chalco de Diaz Covarrubias
$1015
42 km or 26 mi Zumpango
$934
55 km or 34 mi Toluca
$986
56 km or 35 mi Cuernavaca
$887
60 km or 37 mi Jiutepec
$907
70 km or 44 mi Cuautla
$1032
89 km or 55 mi Pachuca
$771
93 km or 58 mi Atlixco
$987
105 km or 65 mi San Jose Villa de Allende
$971
106 km or 66 mi Puebla
$1075
107 km or 67 mi Taxco
$981
126 km or 79 mi Iguala
$1004
140 km or 87 mi San Juan del Rio
$1041
184 km or 114 mi Queretaro
$1241
192 km or 119 mi Teziutlan
$950
211 km or 131 mi Chilpancingo
$766
213 km or 132 mi Tehuacan
$926
214 km or 133 mi Celaya
$803
216 km or 134 mi Poza Rica
$928
217 km or 135 mi Morelia
$926
224 km or 139 mi Cortazar
$894
224 km or 139 mi Orizaba
$944
225 km or 140 mi Yuriria
$952
229 km or 143 mi Coatepec
$846
234 km or 145 mi Xalapa
$670
236 km or 146 mi San Miguel de Allende
$1469
239 km or 149 mi Cordoba
$962
250 km or 155 mi Salamanca
$950
269 km or 167 mi Irapuato
$910
281 km or 174 mi Zacapu
$1023

Cities near San Jose, Costa Rica

Distance City Cost of living
7.9 km or 4.9 mi Heredia
$1378
17 km or 11 mi Alajuela
$1323
20 km or 12 mi Cartago
$1290
82 km or 51 mi Puntarenas
$825
115 km or 72 mi Limon
$1332
124 km or 77 mi Santa Teresa
$1273
167 km or 104 mi Liberia
$957
197 km or 122 mi Tamarindo
$1832
244 km or 151 mi San Juan del Sur
$840
246 km or 153 mi David
$922
279 km or 173 mi Juigalpa
$782
302 km or 188 mi Granada
$699
316 km or 196 mi Masaya
$812
343 km or 213 mi Managua
$796
387 km or 241 mi Matagalpa
$679
398 km or 247 mi Santiago de Veraguas
$1122
408 km or 253 mi Jinotega
$470
413 km or 257 mi Leon
$754
429 km or 266 mi Esteli
$687
438 km or 272 mi Penonome
$1153
447 km or 278 mi Chinandega
$787
457 km or 284 mi Chitre
$1154
463 km or 288 mi Colon
$1179
486 km or 302 mi La Chorrera
$977
508 km or 316 mi Balboa
$1425
513 km or 319 mi Panama City
$1583
524 km or 326 mi Tocumen
$1403
535 km or 333 mi Pacora
$1395
574 km or 357 mi Tegucigalpa
$863
596 km or 370 mi San Miguel
$1120
609 km or 378 mi Usulutan
$1109
635 km or 395 mi Comayagua
$705
666 km or 414 mi Yoro
$737
696 km or 432 mi San Salvador
$1274
697 km or 433 mi Soyapango
$1246
701 km or 435 mi Mejicanos
$1237
702 km or 436 mi Apopa
$1221
703 km or 437 mi Santa Tecla
$1178
713 km or 443 mi La Ceiba
$626
729 km or 453 mi El Progreso
$804