Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St. Gallen Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St. Gallen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $3,529 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $5,441 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $7,353 in St. Gallen.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 59% less than in St. Gallen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, St. Gallen 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$30.33 CHF 24.57

-56.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$147 CHF 119

-63.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$18.50 CHF 14.99

-47.68%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$6.36 CHF 5.15

-41.19%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$5.84 CHF 4.73

-72.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$5.33 CHF 4.32

-78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$7.66 CHF 6.20

-57.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$7.28 CHF 5.89

-34.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.20 CHF 1.78

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.66 CHF 2.15

3.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$3.53 CHF 2.86

-47.03%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$8.31 CHF 6.73

-69.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$27.25 CHF 22.08

-62.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$32.23 CHF 26.10

-74.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$41.77 CHF 33.84

-71.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.27 CHF 2.65

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.86 CHF 1.51

-2.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.45 CHF 1.98

-18.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$7.04 CHF 5.70

-71.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.53 CHF 2.05

-17.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.32 CHF 1.88

-2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$2.38 CHF 1.93

-38.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.11 CHF 0.90

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$10.80 CHF 8.75

-59.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.53 CHF 9.34

47.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.19 CHF 1.77

-21.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.39 CHF 1.93

49.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$4.21 CHF 3.41

-90.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$82.5 CHF 66.8

-77.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$6.79 CHF 5.50

-80.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$4.10 CHF 3.32

-93.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$79.4 CHF 64.3

-93.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$2.14 CHF 1.73

-37.38%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

-52.24%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$40.8K CHF 33.1K

-41.62%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$324 CHF 262

-87.43%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$59.4 CHF 48.09

-54.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$52.2 CHF 42.30

-41.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$82.7 CHF 67.0

-36.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$100 CHF 81.0

-73.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$31.00 CHF 25.11

-79.00%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$2,815 CHF 2,280

-84.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

-69.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$145 CHF 118

-60.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$64.6 CHF 52.3

-29.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$159 CHF 128

-34.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$233 CHF 189

-53.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$1,816 CHF 1,471

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$1,495 CHF 1,211

-58.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$2,793 CHF 2,262

-24.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$2,310 CHF 1,871

-47.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

-68.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$9,105 CHF 7,375

-77.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$6,998 CHF 5,668

-85.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.5

353.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 574% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $147 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $610 per month, with Mexico City 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. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and St. Gallen differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $3,529 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 574% lower in St. Gallen. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $1,816 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 341% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $2,815 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $3,529 in St. Gallen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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. Gallen 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.