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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,255 in Sao Tome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,961 in Sao Tome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,667 in Sao Tome.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Sao Tome is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$9.08 STN 193

31.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$46.64 STN 993

10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$8.33 STN 177

36.97%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.29 STN 48.85

74.24%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.86 STN 39.53

-10.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$1.31 STN 27.89

1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.74 STN 37.05

99.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$1.85 STN 39.39

218.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.64 STN 34.94

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.00 STN 21.31

225.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$2.11 STN 44.95

2.37%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$4.98 STN 106

-41.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$19.88 STN 423

-35.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$20.53 STN 437

-51.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$25.32 STN 539

-37.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$3.85 STN 81.9

-14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.77 STN 37.78

13.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$3.68 STN 78.4

-40.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$3.49 STN 74.3

-32.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$3.04 STN 64.7

-32.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$2.50 STN 53.2

-24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.52 STN 11.15

209.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$2.05 STN 43.60

-31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$2.39 STN 51.0

128.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.17 STN 174

116.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.54 STN 32.91

33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$1.76 STN 37.44

165.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$1.39 STN 29.67

-75.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.68 STN 35.79

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$2.76 STN 58.7

-79.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$14.32 STN 305

-59.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.73 STN 36.77

-6.94%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$25.3K STN 539.0K

-9.74%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$32.2K STN 685.0K

-16.81%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$233 STN 4,973

-72.08%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$32.20 STN 686

-6.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$69.6 STN 1,483

-46.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$34.32 STN 731

74.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$25.87 STN 551

2.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$20.50 STN 437

-65.66%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$240 STN 5,122

93.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$2,220 STN 47.3K

497.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$76.8 STN 1,636

-27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$19.18 STN 409

528.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$291 STN 6,200

278.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$203 STN 4,329

254.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$961 STN 20.5K

163.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$458 STN 9,763

182.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$1,852 STN 39.4K

115.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,174 STN 25.0K

78.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$271 STN 5,770

282.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.38

53.12%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $291 in Sao Tome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 283% 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 $47.00 in Sao Tome. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $423, 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 ($1,660 vs $1,255 including rent). Sao Tome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 283% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $291 in Sao Tome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $240 in Sao Tome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Tome – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,255 in Sao Tome versus $1,660 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.