Where you live now
Mexico CityMexico
MX$31,381
per month
Cost of living: Mexico City vs San José
Choose where you live now and another city. You'll see what a normal month costs in each: rent, food, transport, bills and going out.
Household
Rent
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San José is 13% cheaper than Mexico City.
Monthly cost for one person, renting in the city centre. Includes rent, food, transport, bills and going out.
City to compare
San JoséCosta Rica
CRC 668,628
per month, about MX$27,387
Monthly costs by category
Show amounts in
| Category | Mexico City | San José | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | 18,683 | 13,078 | −30% |
| Groceries | 4,608 | 5,054 | +10% |
| Eating out | 2,731 | 3,238 | +19% |
| Getting around | 1,279 | 1,476 | +15% |
| Bills | 2,607 | 2,902 | +11% |
| Going out | 1,109 | 1,261 | +14% |
| Clothes | 364 | 378 | +4% |
| Total per month | 31,381 | 27,387 | −13% |
San José is 13% cheaper than Mexico City for one person renting in the city centre. The biggest gap is rent (−30%); clothes is the closest (+4%). Someone spending MX$31,381 a month in Mexico City would need about CRC 668,628 in San José for the same lifestyle. Rent takes 48% of the monthly budget in San José and 60% in Mexico City.
San José: no reports yet, so these numbers are starting estimates from the city's overall price level.How this is calculated
Prices
Everyday prices in San José
The typical price people paid recently, and how it compares with Mexico City. "Estimated" means we don't have many reports yet.
Show amounts in
| Item | Typical price | What people paid | vs Mexico City | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino, regularEstimated | MX$44.73 | +19% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurantEstimated | MX$190 | +20% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Monthly public transport passEstimated | MX$1,233 | +15% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| 1-bedroom flat, city centreEstimated | MX$13,078 | −30% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| 1-bedroom flat, outside the centreEstimated | MX$9,416 | −30% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Milk, 1 LEstimated | MX$16.02 | +9% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Eggs, 12Estimated | MX$57.50 | +11% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kgEstimated | MX$160 | +9% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Electricity, water, heating and cooling for 85 m²Estimated | MX$2,253 | +12% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps or fasterEstimated | MX$748 | +11% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Mobile plan with calls and 10 GB+ dataEstimated | MX$690 | +11% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Gym membership, monthlyEstimated | MX$901 | +14% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Cinema ticketEstimated | MX$180 | +14% vs Mexico City | 0 reports | |
| Jeans, Levi's 501 or similarEstimated | MX$1,021 | +4% vs Mexico City | 0 reports |
Most reports (10th–90th percentile)
Middle half of reports
Same item in Mexico City
All prices in San José
Method
Where the numbers come from
People who live in each city share what they paid. Every price is checked before it counts.
People share prices
Anyone can add what they paid, in their own currency. No account needed. A quick automatic check keeps bots out.
We check every price
Typos, wrong currencies and impossible amounts are caught. An unusual price only counts after someone else reports something similar.
We work out the typical price
We use the middle price of recent reports. When a city has only a few reports, we estimate the rest and label it "Estimated".
No reports in the last 30 days yet. When they arrive, you'll see here how many were counted, held for a second opinion or turned down.
Rankings
Most and least expensive cities
Monthly cost for one person renting in the city centre, in Mexican pesos. Pick a city to compare it with Mexico City. See all 118 cities
Most expensive
Comparisons
Popular comparisons
Cities people often weigh up against each other. Monthly cost for one person, rent in the centre included.
- London vs New YorkMX$77,423 → MX$106,326+37%
- Lisbon vs LondonMX$41,878 → MX$77,423+85%
- Hong Kong vs SingaporeMX$61,641 → MX$79,608+29%
- New York vs TokyoMX$106,326 → MX$36,910−65%
- Berlin vs LondonMX$43,332 → MX$77,423+79%
- Dubai vs LondonMX$62,015 → MX$77,423+25%
- Amsterdam vs BerlinMX$61,702 → MX$43,332−30%
- Barcelona vs MadridMX$41,598 → MX$40,189−3%
- Lisbon vs PortoMX$41,878 → MX$34,379−18%
- Melbourne vs SydneyMX$52,361 → MX$65,118+24%
- Toronto vs VancouverMX$56,097 → MX$57,966+3%
- Beijing vs ShanghaiMX$32,189 → MX$34,379+7%
- Osaka vs TokyoMX$29,415 → MX$36,910+25%
- Bangkok vs SingaporeMX$24,354 → MX$79,608+227%
- Mexico City vs New YorkMX$31,381 → MX$106,326+239%
- Seoul vs TokyoMX$36,632 → MX$36,910+1%
- London vs ParisMX$77,423 → MX$51,427−34%
- Dubai vs SingaporeMX$62,015 → MX$79,608+28%
- New York vs San FranciscoMX$106,326 → MX$90,614−15%
- Bangkok vs Chiang MaiMX$24,354 → MX$16,772−31%
- Buenos Aires vs São PauloMX$24,584 → MX$24,6790%
- London vs SydneyMX$77,423 → MX$65,118−16%
- Austin vs San FranciscoMX$57,645 → MX$90,614+57%
- Hong Kong vs TaipeiMX$61,641 → MX$26,613−57%
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FAQ
Mexico City vs San José: common questions
Is San José cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes. One person renting a 1-bedroom flat in the centre spends about CRC 668,628 (about MX$27,387) a month in San José, against MX$31,381 in Mexico City: 13% less.
How much is rent in San José compared with Mexico City?
A 1-bedroom flat in the centre of San José rents for about CRC 319,285 (about MX$13,078) a month, −30% compared with MX$18,683 in Mexico City. Outside the centre it's about CRC 229,885 against MX$13,451.
How much money do I need to move from Mexico City to San José?
To keep the lifestyle that costs MX$31,381 a month in Mexico City, plan on about CRC 668,628 in San José for one person. A family of four would need about CRC 1,974,034, compared with MX$85,967 in Mexico City.
How much does eating out cost in San José vs Mexico City?
A meal at an inexpensive restaurant is about CRC 4,631 (about MX$190) in San José and MX$157 in Mexico City. A regular cappuccino is about CRC 1,092 against MX$37.67.
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