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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $778 in Saint-Louis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,264 in Saint-Louis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,750 in Saint-Louis.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 89% more expensive than Saint-Louis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Saint-Louis is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.45 F CFA 1,945

282.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$53.5 F CFA 30.2K

0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$10.42 F CFA 5,883

-9.60%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$4.51 F CFA 2,546

-21.29%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.84 F CFA 475

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.05 F CFA 595

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.80 F CFA 1,018

73.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$4.28 F CFA 2,418

8.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$2.57 F CFA 1,451

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.27 F CFA 153

907.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.62 F CFA 913

17.90%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

-2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$12.60 F CFA 7,113

-20.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$9.22 F CFA 5,202

-12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.95 F CFA 6,182

6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.82 F CFA 1,593

5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.00 F CFA 1,127

-9.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.60 F CFA 1,470

-22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.06 F CFA 1,165

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.55 F CFA 875

36.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.34 F CFA 756

69.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.02 F CFA 573

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.72 F CFA 408

56.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.64 F CFA 923

160.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$15.33 F CFA 8,651

1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.17 F CFA 661

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.24 F CFA 1,267

60.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.91 F CFA 514

51.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.78 F CFA 1,571

-89.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$17.72 F CFA 10.0K

-69.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.73 F CFA 974

-24.86%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$36.0K F CFA 20.3M

-48.08%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$49.7K F CFA 28.1M

-53.49%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$140 F CFA 79.2K

-70.88%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$9.67 F CFA 5,458

177.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$50.6 F CFA 28.6K

-40.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.93 F CFA 5,043

-29.45%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$265 F CFA 149.7K

64.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$7,357 F CFA 4.2M

41.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$69.5 F CFA 39.2K

-18.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$44.04 F CFA 24.9K

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$103 F CFA 58.2K

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$130 F CFA 73.2K

-18.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$443 F CFA 249.9K

130.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Saint-Louis: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 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 $288 vs $270 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 89% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $778 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,167 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: $1,022 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 $436 in Mexico City versus $265 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 $778 in Saint-Louis versus $1,467 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 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.