Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Saint-Louis Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Saint-Louis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $783 in Saint-Louis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,274 in Saint-Louis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,765 in Saint-Louis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than in Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Saint-Louis is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.48 F CFA 1,998

275.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$53.0 F CFA 30.4K

1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$10.20 F CFA 5,854

-5.10%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$4.59 F CFA 2,635

-18.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.92 F CFA 530

76.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.06 F CFA 606

9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.81 F CFA 1,038

78.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.47 F CFA 2,567

6.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.64 F CFA 1,515

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.27 F CFA 156

918.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.60 F CFA 918

16.88%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.71 F CFA 1,555

-7.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.92 F CFA 7,416

-21.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$9.08 F CFA 5,214

-9.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.94 F CFA 6,279

8.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.74 F CFA 1,573

9.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.90 F CFA 1,091

-4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.60 F CFA 1,493

-23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.08 F CFA 1,194

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.49 F CFA 858

39.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.35 F CFA 774

68.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.02 F CFA 588

43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.68 F CFA 390

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.55 F CFA 888

180.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$17.11 F CFA 9,826

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.19 F CFA 685

45.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.33 F CFA 1,338

53.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.92 F CFA 528

44.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.85 F CFA 1,635

-90.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$17.70 F CFA 10.2K

-70.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.80 F CFA 1,031

-25.56%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$36.0K F CFA 20.7M

-46.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$50.3K F CFA 28.9M

-52.60%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.69 MX$709

$140 F CFA 80.1K

-70.84%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.87 MX$468

$9.72 F CFA 5,582

176.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$50.1 F CFA 28.7K

-39.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$9.06 F CFA 5,200

-28.15%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$428 MX$7,454

$267 F CFA 153.1K

60.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$7,248 F CFA 4.2M

44.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$67.6 F CFA 38.8K

-15.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$43.90 F CFA 25.2K

3.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$103 F CFA 59.1K

1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$128 F CFA 73.7K

-15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$443 F CFA 254.2K

126.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.25

37.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $443 in Saint-Louis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $53.0 in Saint-Louis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $273 per month, with Saint-Louis cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Saint-Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Saint-Louis differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $783 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,174 in Saint-Louis to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $443 in Saint-Louis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $267 in Saint-Louis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Louis – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Saint-Louis versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint-Louis but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Louis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Saint-Louis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.