Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sao Tome Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sao Tome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,094 in Sao Tome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,872 in Sao Tome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,649 in Sao Tome.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than Sao Tome, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sao Tome is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$19.90 STN 420

-34.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$46.00 STN 971

13.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$9.64 STN 203

0.52%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$1.77 STN 37.29

111.86%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$1.91 STN 40.38

-18.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$1.14 STN 23.99

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.67 STN 35.32

94.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$1.84 STN 38.86

166.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.31 STN 27.65

29.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.01 STN 21.29

164.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$2.35 STN 49.65

-19.57%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$5.09 STN 108

-50.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$20.29 STN 428

-50.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$19.96 STN 421

-57.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$24.85 STN 524

-51.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$4.72 STN 99.5

-37.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.17 STN 24.73

52.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$4.00 STN 84.3

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$3.54 STN 74.6

-44.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$2.66 STN 56.2

-18.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.98 STN 41.74

14.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.67 STN 14.12

108.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$1.95 STN 41.06

-43.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$2.35 STN 49.50

78.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$8.13 STN 171

103.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.33 STN 28.11

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.32 STN 27.94

171.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$1.26 STN 26.50

-69.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$13.97 STN 295

-61.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.64 STN 34.67

-21.34%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$22.8K STN 480.3K

4.54%

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

$39.86 MX$686

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

$27.83 MX$479

$35.09 STN 740

-20.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$70.9 STN 1,495

-57.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$37.56 STN 792

38.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$28.36 STN 598

-7.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$21.24 STN 448

-70.48%

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

$433 MX$7,443

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$19.32 STN 408

461.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$344 STN 7,254

189.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$231 STN 4,883

166.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$662 STN 14.0K

215.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$521 STN 11.0K

141.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$1,923 STN 40.6K

104.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$1,180 STN 24.9K

76.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$266 STN 5,609

325.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.38

53.66%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $344 in Sao Tome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 326% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Sao Tome. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $416, with Mexico City 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 Sao Tome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sao Tome differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $1,094 including rent). Sao Tome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 326% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Mexico City versus $344 in Sao Tome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Tome – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,448 per month in Mexico City versus $1,094 in Sao Tome – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,094 in Sao Tome versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Tome but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Tome 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Sao Tome are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Tome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.