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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $936 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,628 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,320 in St.James.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, St.James is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$10.25 TTD 69.6

26.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$89.4 TTD 607

-40.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.46 TTD 50.7

30.29%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.67 TTD 24.95

2.18%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.09 TTD 7.39

44.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.82 TTD 5.58

37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.83 TTD 12.41

73.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.04 TTD 20.62

53.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.68 TTD 18.19

-39.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.81 TTD 19.07

-3.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.58 TTD 17.54

-27.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$5.04 TTD 34.24

-50.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.99 TTD 54.3

26.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$10.50 TTD 71.3

-21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$14.13 TTD 95.9

-15.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$5.85 TTD 39.71

-51.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.63 TTD 17.83

-33.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$4.33 TTD 29.43

-51.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.68 TTD 31.80

-57.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.49 TTD 10.12

44.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.67 TTD 11.32

30.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.89 TTD 12.82

-26.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.40 TTD 9.52

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.78 TTD 39.26

-27.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$19.31 TTD 131

-26.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.10 TTD 14.25

-16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.69 TTD 18.29

36.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.05 TTD 7.13

32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.24 TTD 8.41

-75.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$14.98 TTD 102

-63.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.15 TTD 7.79

17.39%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$34.2K TTD 232.0K

-44.72%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$39.0K TTD 265.0K

-40.67%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$80.0 TTD 543

-48.95%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$47.03 TTD 319

-41.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$61.6 TTD 418

-50.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$10.01 TTD 68.0

-37.36%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$321 TTD 2,181

35.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,320 TTD 49.7K

43.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$59.9 TTD 407

-5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$37.68 TTD 256

18.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$143 TTD 973

-28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$126 TTD 857

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.38

110.78%

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.James: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $89.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $377 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.James: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and St.James differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $936 including rent). St.James 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 $1,404 in St.James 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.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $321 in St.James. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in St.James – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in St.James versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St.James but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes St.James 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 St.James gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.