Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $322 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in St John

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 John actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $322 in St John.

Mexico City $1,608
St John $322

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $927 in St John.

Mexico City $2,549
St John $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,531 in St John.

Mexico City $3,490
St John $1,531

Living in Mexico City is roughly 399% more expensive than in St John.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, St John is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$20.06 $20.06

-47.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

$174 $174

-72.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$7.14 $7.14

-48.32%

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

$2.94 $2.94

-43.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

$1.96 $1.96

-35.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

$8.05 $8.05

-60.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$8.09 $8.09

-34.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

$1.62 $1.62

-6.79%

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

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

$27.39 MX$513

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,088

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

$13.3K $13.3K

-14.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

$12.8K $12.8K

-71.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$5,075 $5,075

-81.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

7.05

60.99%

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 John: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

St John

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

St John

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

St John pays about 5.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $48 in Mexico City vs $174 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

22:36 10:36 PM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

2,743

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City St John 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
St John

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 John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $322 in St John, so St John is about 80% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $174 in St John. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $322 in St John – St John is about 80% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $322 in St John versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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.