Cost of Living: Ajijic vs San Miguel de Allende (2026)

Mexico vs Mexico — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

🇲🇽 San Miguel de Allende

Mexico

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Ajijic

San Miguel de Allende

$879/mo

Rent

$1106/mo

49/100

Livability

48/100

30/100

Safety

30/100

62/100

Healthcare

—

4 yr

PR path

4 yr

Freelance setup

RESICO

No VAT exemption
€350/yr accountant

Stripe

RESICO

No VAT exemption
€350/yr accountant

Stripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated May 2026

TL;DRAjijic is 21% cheaper on rent ($879/mo vs $1106/mo). Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Ajijic and San Miguel de Allende are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

Household

Ajijic

Metric

San Miguel de Allende

✓$879/mo

🏠

Rent (1BR centre)

$1106/mo

✓$247/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

$322/mo

✓$3,387

🧳

Cost to land

$4,068

24.9 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

24.9 / 100k

26°C

☀️

Summer high

26°C

12°C

❄️

Winter low

8°C

—

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

12 μg/m³

5.3 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

5.3 / 10

20/100

🗣️

Street English

20/100

$26k

💼

GDP per capita

$26k

4.7% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

4.7% · Boringly steady

49 / 100

🏅

Livability Score

48 / 100

4 years

📋

Time to PR

4 years

See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Ajijic

$227/mo cheaper on rent alone

Sun

How much sky you actually get

52% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

53% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

10.9h

Shortest day

Dec

10.9h

13.3h

Longest day

Jun

13.4h

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Inflation trend

stable →

4 yrs

Time to PR

4 yrs

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

EU visa

Moderate

RU visa

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

⚠️ Needs a separate work permit

Spouse works

⚠️ Needs a separate work permit

$4,400/mo

Retiree visa

$4,400/mo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

12 wk

Gestational limit

12 wk

Decriminalized nationwide by Supreme Court in 2023. Access varies by state.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

71/100

Rainbow Index

71/100

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Source: Rainbow Europe (ILGA-Europe)

The Short Version

•Rent is 21% cheaper in Ajijic ($879/mo vs $1106/mo for a 1BR city centre).
•Summers are slightly warmer in Ajijic (26°C vs 26°C).

Ajijic vs San Miguel de Allende — Common Questions

Is Ajijic cheaper than San Miguel de Allende?▾

Ajijic is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $879/month in Ajijic vs $1106/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Ajijic or San Miguel de Allende?▾

San Miguel de Allende is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Ajijic has a rate of 24.86 per 100,000 and San Miguel de Allende has 24.86 per 100,000.

Should I move to Ajijic or San Miguel de Allende?▾

Ajijic and San Miguel de Allende are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Ajijic or San Miguel de Allende?▾

Ajijic: Mexico Temporary Resident Visa (moderate requirements, 1–4 years). San Miguel de Allende: Mexico Temporary Resident Visa (moderate requirements, 1–4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

What's the cost of rent in Ajijic vs San Miguel de Allende?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $879/month in Ajijic, $1106/month in San Miguel de Allende (Numbeo). That's 21% cheaper rent in Ajijic.