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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $924 in St.James.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,643 in St.James.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,361 in St.James.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than St.James, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, St.James is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$10.18 TTD 68.8

27.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$87.1 TTD 589

-39.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.49 TTD 50.6

25.90%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.61 TTD 24.42

-1.11%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.08 TTD 7.31

49.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.79 TTD 5.32

45.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.81 TTD 12.21

74.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.07 TTD 20.74

58.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$2.76 TTD 18.68

-38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.81 TTD 18.97

-6.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$2.68 TTD 18.12

-29.10%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$5.08 TTD 34.33

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.81 TTD 52.8

29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$10.52 TTD 71.1

-21.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$14.18 TTD 95.9

-18.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$5.96 TTD 40.28

-49.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.49 TTD 16.81

-31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$4.22 TTD 28.55

-51.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$4.62 TTD 31.26

-55.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.50 TTD 10.15

37.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.67 TTD 11.27

29.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.94 TTD 13.11

-27.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.41 TTD 9.53

-20.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$5.86 TTD 39.62

-26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$18.70 TTD 126

-17.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.17 TTD 14.68

-23.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.84 TTD 19.18

29.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.05 TTD 7.13

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.28 TTD 8.64

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$15.03 TTD 102

-63.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.11 TTD 7.50

15.32%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$33.3K TTD 225.5K

-43.09%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$39.0K TTD 263.6K

-39.82%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$81.3 TTD 549

-49.51%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$46.23 TTD 313

-41.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$60.6 TTD 410

-51.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$10.28 TTD 69.5

-39.88%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$329 TTD 2,224

29.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$7,199 TTD 48.7K

48.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$60.2 TTD 407

-5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$38.56 TTD 261

16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$145 TTD 981

-27.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$130 TTD 876

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for St.James: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $87.0 in St.James for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $376 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 57% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $924 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,386 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 $427 in Mexico City versus $329 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 $87.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in St.James versus $1,447 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 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.