✦ Compare
San Diego vs
Mexico City
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Mexico City, MX, you'd need
$36,088 / year
Mexico City, MX is 52% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Mexico City, MX vs San Diego, CA)
- Housing-66%
- Food & groceries-42%
- Transport-61%
- Utilities-23%
- Healthcare-41%
- Goods & services-39%
Median 1-bed rent
$2,500 /mo
San Diego, CA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$800 /mo
Mexico City, MX overview →
▤ Full comparison
| San Diego, CA | Mexico City, MX | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 134 | 64 |
| Housing | 178 | 60 |
| Food | 112 | 65 |
| Transport | 128 | 50 |
| Utilities | 104 | 80 |
| Healthcare | 110 | 65 |
| Goods & services | 115 | 70 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,500/mo | $800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,900/mo | $550/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,600/mo | $1,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $9,000 | $3,200 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $747 | $1,553 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $5 |
| Monthly transit pass | $72 | $20 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 16% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 30% |
| Capital gains | 20% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $700/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $420/mo |
| GDP per capita | $82,000 | $12,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Native | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 60 | 70 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 55 | 40 |
| Healthcare index | 78 | 68 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 75 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 80 Mbps |
| Walkability | 60 | 68 |
| Public transport | 50 | 70 |
| Family-friendly | 65 | 60 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Health insurance | $470/mo | $80/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 75 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +14 °C | +14 °C |
| July avg | +22 °C | +17 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 266 | 240 |
| Rainfall / year | 260 mm | 850 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs Mexico. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is San Diego cheaper than Mexico City?
Mexico City is about 52% cheaper than San Diego overall — its cost-of-living index is 64 versus 134 for San Diego.
How much do you need to earn in Mexico City to live like in San Diego?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in San Diego is worth about $36,088 in Mexico City. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, San Diego or Mexico City?
Mexico has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 37% in United States.
◷ More comparisons from San Diego
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.