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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $914 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,615 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,317 in St.James.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than in St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, St.James is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$10.37 TTD 69.7

26.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$89.0 TTD 598

-39.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.52 TTD 50.5

24.07%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.64 TTD 24.41

1.65%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.05 TTD 7.02

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.78 TTD 5.26

43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.81 TTD 12.13

73.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.17 TTD 21.30

53.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$2.69 TTD 18.06

-38.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.81 TTD 18.85

-3.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.62 TTD 17.59

-27.10%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$5.04 TTD 33.86

-48.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.02 TTD 53.8

22.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$10.23 TTD 68.7

-17.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$14.14 TTD 95.0

-15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$5.94 TTD 39.87

-50.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.62 TTD 17.59

-33.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$4.43 TTD 29.76

-53.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$4.80 TTD 32.26

-57.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.44 TTD 9.64

49.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.72 TTD 11.57

31.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.91 TTD 12.82

-27.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.40 TTD 9.37

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$5.85 TTD 39.31

-27.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$19.42 TTD 130

-9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.20 TTD 14.77

-22.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.72 TTD 18.28

33.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.02 TTD 6.84

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.28 TTD 8.63

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$15.00 TTD 101

-64.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.09 TTD 7.32

24.77%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$34.0K TTD 228.3K

-43.82%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$38.6K TTD 259.4K

-38.89%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$79.3 TTD 532

-48.86%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$46.15 TTD 310

-40.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$62.4 TTD 419

-51.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$10.11 TTD 67.9

-38.77%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$325 TTD 2,184

30.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$7,329 TTD 49.2K

46.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$58.9 TTD 395

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$37.85 TTD 254

17.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$144 TTD 965

-27.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$129 TTD 867

-15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for St.James: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $89.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $378 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $914 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,370 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 $425 in Mexico City versus $325 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $914 in St.James versus $1,472 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.