Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Saint Paul, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Saint Paul, MN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Saint Paul, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN.

Mexico City $1,608
Saint Paul, MN $2,445

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN.

Mexico City $2,549
Saint Paul, MN $3,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN.

Mexico City $3,490
Saint Paul, MN $4,900

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 34% less than in Saint Paul, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Saint Paul, MN 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$15.66 $15.66

-32.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$67.8 $67.8

-28.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$10.07 $10.07

2.78%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$5.03 $5.03

-26.64%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

$3.09 $3.09

-45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

$2.59 $2.59

-50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$6.04 $6.04

-47.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$7.37 $7.37

-27.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$0.98 $0.98

75.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$3.80 $3.80

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$3.33 $3.33

-41.74%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.96 $2.96

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$9.39 $9.39

16.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$9.66 $9.66

-4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$13.17 $13.17

14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$4.84 $4.84

-36.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$1.11 $1.11

74.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$5.88 $5.88

-65.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$4.92 $4.92

-53.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$3.81 $3.81

-46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$3.48 $3.48

-48.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$2.05 $2.05

-27.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$1.75 $1.75

-27.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$12.68 $12.68

-58.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$14.65 $14.65

9.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$1.69 $1.69

17.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$3.41 $3.41

24.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$1.96 $1.96

-84.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$104 $104

-80.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$2.54 $2.54

-27.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.52 $1.52

-65.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$31.02 $31.02

-82.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$1.03 $1.03

46.60%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-19.70%

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-9.76%

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$232 $232

-72.89%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$50.6 $50.6

-45.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$64.7 $64.7

-44.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$29.74 $29.74

98.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$8.50 $8.50

178.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$13.07 $13.07

-51.03%

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

$432 MX$8,041

$1,481 $1,481

-70.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

-59.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

$41.01 $41.01

66.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$40.23 $40.23

32.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

$82.1 $82.1

31.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

$110 $110

6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$1,444 $1,444

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,153 $1,153

-38.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$2,660 $2,660

-2.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$2,132 $2,132

-34.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

$2,631 $2,631

38.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,949 $1,949

9.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$4,256 $4,256

-77.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.31

79.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2% 62.3% $443

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7% 12.7% $40

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6% 42.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5% 21% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2% 176% $222

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3% 22.1% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5% 378% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Paul, MN pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $68 in Saint Paul, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $360 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

23:27 11:27 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

285,068

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Saint Paul, MN 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Saint Paul, MN

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Paul, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, so Mexico City is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 81% less than in Saint Paul, MN. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $1,481 in Saint Paul, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Saint Paul, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.