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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $876 in Saint-Louis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,385 in Saint-Louis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,895 in Saint-Louis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than in Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Saint-Louis is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.48 F CFA 1,962

247.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$55.7 F CFA 31.4K

-6.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$11.74 F CFA 6,615

-7.16%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.44 F CFA 1,940

17.73%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.25 F CFA 704

37.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.87 F CFA 493

58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$1.83 F CFA 1,033

89.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$4.40 F CFA 2,478

32.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.78 F CFA 1,568

-33.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$0.28 F CFA 158

1050.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.74 F CFA 978

20.11%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

11.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$17.34 F CFA 9,775

-27.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$9.58 F CFA 5,397

5.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$11.41 F CFA 6,432

39.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.26 F CFA 1,835

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.91 F CFA 1,078

11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.99 F CFA 1,684

-26.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

36.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.38 F CFA 778

58.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.05 F CFA 592

80.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.19 F CFA 670

36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.73 F CFA 413

84.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$2.28 F CFA 1,284

138.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$17.65 F CFA 9,947

-0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.61 F CFA 905

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$3.40 F CFA 1,918

39.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$0.93 F CFA 526

119.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.18 F CFA 1,226

-73.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$17.55 F CFA 9,891

-65.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.68 F CFA 945

-3.57%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$52.0K F CFA 29.3M

-56.09%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$50.4K F CFA 28.4M

-47.15%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$209 F CFA 117.6K

-68.74%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$11.91 F CFA 6,712

150.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$48.07 F CFA 27.1K

-23.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$8.99 F CFA 5,066

-23.80%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$316 F CFA 178.2K

43.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

23.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$60.4 F CFA 34.0K

24.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$48.08 F CFA 27.1K

15.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$88.9 F CFA 50.1K

27.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$101 F CFA 56.7K

21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$450 F CFA 253.5K

152.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.75

29.14%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $450 in Saint-Louis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $56.0 in Saint-Louis. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $301, with Saint-Louis cheaper for home cooking.

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 88% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $876 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,313 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $450 in Saint-Louis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $316 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 $56.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $876 in Saint-Louis versus $1,646 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.