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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,026 in St Francis Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,587 in St Francis Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,147 in St Francis Bay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than St Francis Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, St Francis Bay is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$8.40 R 136

54.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$33.69 R 545

56.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.98 R 80.4

89.36%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.03 R 32.79

75.86%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.02 R 16.56

57.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.78 R 12.53

47.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.27 R 36.65

38.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.51 R 40.54

93.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.11 R 18.01

53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.05 R 17.04

151.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.61 R 26.04

18.01%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.47 R 39.98

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.91 R 128

27.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.65 R 75.1

78.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$6.60 R 107

75.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.63 R 26.34

85.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.54 R 24.82

11.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.49 R 24.08

37.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.65 R 26.63

24.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.37 R 22.20

50.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.18 R 19.13

83.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.06 R 17.11

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.90 R 14.61

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.73 R 44.14

57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.79 R 77.5

221.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.37 R 22.21

21.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.73 R 27.94

113.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.62 R 26.22

-76.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.11 R 17.91

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.87 R 14.15

-67.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$4.08 R 66.0

32.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.28 R 20.64

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.1K R 341.0K

-10.01%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$24.3K R 392.5K

-3.36%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$117 R 1,898

-65.05%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$34.91 R 564

-22.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$41.76 R 675

-28.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$30.43 R 492

71.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$11.04 R 178

137.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.66 R 108

-7.21%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$193 R 3,124

121.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,316 R 69.8K

147.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$49.63 R 802

14.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$32.43 R 524

38.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$87.1 R 1,407

20.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$78.6 R 1,271

34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$362 R 5,854

174.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$339 R 5,484

83.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$686 R 11.1K

209.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$697 R 11.3K

79.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$899 R 14.5K

334.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$709 R 11.5K

195.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for St Francis Bay: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $362 in St Francis Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in St Francis Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $178 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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,026 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 $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,539 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $362 in St Francis Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 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 $34.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in St Francis Bay versus $1,447 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.