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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $925 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,586 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,247 in St.James.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 79% more expensive than in St.James, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, St.James is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$10.49 TTD 70.6

13.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$87.5 TTD 589

-41.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$9.07 TTD 61.0

25.80%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.69 TTD 24.83

8.13%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.00 TTD 6.75

66.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.76 TTD 5.11

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.27 TTD 15.27

52.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.60 TTD 24.21

63.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$2.51 TTD 16.90

-25.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.48 TTD 16.67

31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.85 TTD 19.17

-24.21%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$4.30 TTD 28.92

-32.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$6.50 TTD 43.73

97.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$9.97 TTD 67.1

0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$11.64 TTD 78.3

36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$5.60 TTD 37.69

-41.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$3.12 TTD 20.99

-35.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$3.72 TTD 25.01

-40.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$4.17 TTD 28.04

-43.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.21 TTD 14.88

-7.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.93 TTD 13.00

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.84 TTD 12.37

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.34 TTD 9.01

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$6.02 TTD 40.50

-9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$18.94 TTD 127

-6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$2.21 TTD 14.88

-6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.99 TTD 20.10

56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.05 TTD 7.07

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.24 TTD 8.34

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$14.61 TTD 98.3

-60.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.17 TTD 7.85

37.61%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$37.5K TTD 252.2K

-39.05%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$40.4K TTD 271.7K

-33.76%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$91.7 TTD 617

-28.94%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$52.6 TTD 354

-42.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$56.1 TTD 377

-33.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$8.90 TTD 59.9

-20.90%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$404 TTD 2,716

15.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$10.8K TTD 72.7K

22.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$54.3 TTD 365

39.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$52.0 TTD 350

7.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$146 TTD 985

-23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$103 TTD 691

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.75

96.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for St.James: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $88.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $354 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 79% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $925 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,387 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 $465 in Mexico City versus $404 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 $88.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in St.James versus $1,660 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 79% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.