Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,451 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in St. Gallen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in St. Gallen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,451 in St. Gallen.

Mexico City $1,608
St. Gallen $3,451

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $5,120 in St. Gallen.

Mexico City $2,549
St. Gallen $5,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $6,789 in St. Gallen.

Mexico City $3,490
St. Gallen $6,789

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 53% less than in St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, St. Gallen 154% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$28.78 CHF 23.74

-63.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$144 CHF 119

-66.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$18.04 CHF 14.88

-42.63%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$6.03 CHF 4.97

-38.81%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$5.95 CHF 4.91

-71.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$5.10 CHF 4.21

-75.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$8.80 CHF 7.26

-63.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$6.38 CHF 5.26

-16.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-23.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$3.16 CHF 2.61

-3.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$3.77 CHF 3.11

-48.54%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$7.72 CHF 6.36

-62.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$24.91 CHF 20.55

-55.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$29.02 CHF 23.94

-68.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$39.94 CHF 32.94

-62.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$3.06 CHF 2.52

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.56 CHF 1.28

24.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$2.40 CHF 1.98

-15.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$6.17 CHF 5.09

-62.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.71 CHF 1.41

19.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$1.18 CHF 0.97

7.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$10.98 CHF 9.06

-51.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$11.23 CHF 9.26

43.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-5.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.28 CHF 1.88

86.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-92.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$86.4 CHF 71.2

-77.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$6.62 CHF 5.46

-72.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$4.76 CHF 3.93

-88.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$79.2 CHF 65.3

-93.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-32.29%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

-43.31%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

-37.86%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$312 CHF 257

-79.82%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$37.60 CHF 31.01

-27.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$54.0 CHF 44.50

-33.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$79.6 CHF 65.6

-25.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$28.27 CHF 23.32

-77.36%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$2,308 CHF 1,904

-81.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$32.2K CHF 26.5K

-64.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$144 CHF 119

-52.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$64.0 CHF 52.8

-17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$146 CHF 120

-26.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$183 CHF 151

-36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$1,895 CHF 1,563

-41.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$1,504 CHF 1,240

-52.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$2,868 CHF 2,366

-9.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$2,256 CHF 1,860

-37.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$11.3K CHF 9,283

-67.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$8,285 CHF 6,833

-74.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$6,694 CHF 5,521

-85.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.1

440.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

St. Gallen

$1.5K 43.6% 112% $793

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

St. Gallen

$575 16.7% 79.9% $255

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

St. Gallen

$458 13.3% 130% $259

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

St. Gallen

$242 7% 55.3% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

St. Gallen

$404 11.7% 220% $278

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

St. Gallen

$136 3.9% 89.7% $64

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

St. Gallen

$133 3.9% 423% $108

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,895 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays about 7.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $144 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $575 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

05:09 5:09 AM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

78,213

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City St. Gallen 9,740 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
St. Gallen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $3,451 in St. Gallen, so Mexico City is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,895 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 77% less than in St. Gallen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $2,308 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,451 in St. Gallen, a $3,000 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.