Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St Francis Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St Francis Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,003 in St Francis Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,569 in St Francis Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,134 in St Francis Bay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than St Francis Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, St Francis Bay is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.29 R 139

56.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$33.26 R 558

59.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.80 R 80.5

102.50%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.06 R 34.54

82.04%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.04 R 17.37

50.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.81 R 13.57

39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.30 R 38.58

38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.46 R 41.33

89.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.12 R 18.78

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.05 R 17.63

158.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.64 R 27.44

14.63%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.39 R 40.13

5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.87 R 132

28.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.61 R 77.4

79.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$6.88 R 115

73.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.65 R 27.74

73.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.51 R 25.37

15.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.55 R 25.94

34.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.59 R 26.68

23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.36 R 22.81

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.22 R 20.53

78.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.05 R 17.56

32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.98 R 16.51

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.76 R 46.36

52.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.86 R 81.5

193.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.34 R 22.43

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.66 R 27.91

121.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.69 R 28.34

-76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.13 R 19.02

23.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.96 R 16.17

-68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$4.14 R 69.4

30.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.28 R 21.52

5.47%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$21.6K R 362.8K

-12.70%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$23.4K R 393.0K

-1.21%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$119 R 1,998

-65.74%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$35.75 R 600

-23.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$41.17 R 690

-26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$30.49 R 511

75.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$11.03 R 185

138.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.61 R 111

-5.14%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$193 R 3,243

125.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,310 R 72.3K

142.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$49.76 R 835

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$31.85 R 534

40.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$88.8 R 1,489

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$79.7 R 1,336

35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$367 R 6,147

172.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$336 R 5,636

84.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$685 R 11.5K

212.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$702 R 11.8K

75.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$673 R 11.3K

474.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$590 R 9,895

295.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.51

-1.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for St Francis Bay: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $367 in St Francis Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in St Francis Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $179 per month, with St Francis Bay 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 St Francis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and St Francis Bay differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,003 including rent). St Francis Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,505 in St Francis Bay 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $367 in St Francis Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $193 in St Francis Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in St Francis Bay – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in St Francis Bay versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St Francis Bay but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes St Francis Bay 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 St Francis Bay 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 St Francis Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.