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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,569 in St. Gallen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $5,433 in St. Gallen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $7,296 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 10% above, St. Gallen 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$30.20 CHF 23.89

-56.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$149 CHF 118

-63.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$18.33 CHF 14.50

-48.61%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$6.23 CHF 4.93

-43.02%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$5.87 CHF 4.64

-72.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$5.38 CHF 4.26

-79.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$7.36 CHF 5.82

-57.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$7.15 CHF 5.66

-35.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$2.23 CHF 1.76

-23.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.68 CHF 2.12

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$3.58 CHF 2.83

-46.65%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$8.15 CHF 6.44

-68.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$27.21 CHF 21.53

-63.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$32.59 CHF 25.78

-75.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$40.95 CHF 32.40

-71.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$3.13 CHF 2.48

-5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.85 CHF 1.47

-2.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.58 CHF 2.04

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$7.26 CHF 5.74

-72.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$2.56 CHF 2.03

-17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.34 CHF 1.85

-2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$2.34 CHF 1.85

-40.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.11 CHF 0.87

1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$11.04 CHF 8.74

-61.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$11.81 CHF 9.34

31.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.16 CHF 1.71

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.31 CHF 1.83

55.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$4.32 CHF 3.42

-91.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$80.6 CHF 63.8

-76.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$6.86 CHF 5.42

-79.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$4.20 CHF 3.32

-93.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$79.0 CHF 62.5

-93.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$2.10 CHF 1.66

-38.10%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$39.9K CHF 31.6K

-53.20%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$41.5K CHF 32.8K

-44.20%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$332 CHF 263

-87.69%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$59.3 CHF 46.89

-54.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$52.8 CHF 41.77

-43.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$81.2 CHF 64.3

-35.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$99.3 CHF 78.6

-72.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$30.30 CHF 23.97

-79.21%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$2,792 CHF 2,209

-84.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$34.9K CHF 27.6K

-70.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$148 CHF 117

-61.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$64.8 CHF 51.2

-31.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$156 CHF 124

-34.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$238 CHF 188

-55.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,814 CHF 1,435

-43.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$1,526 CHF 1,207

-58.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$2,733 CHF 2,162

-21.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$2,369 CHF 1,874

-47.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$10.8K CHF 8,540

-63.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$8,655 CHF 6,847

-76.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$7,138 CHF 5,647

-84.38%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,814 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 540% 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 $149 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $611 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 143% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $3,569 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, St. Gallen earns 540% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,814 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 320% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $2,792 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,569 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 143% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.