Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St Lawrence Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St Lawrence

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,415 in St Lawrence.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $5,034 in St Lawrence.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $6,653 in St Lawrence.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 57% less than in St Lawrence, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, St Lawrence 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$20.32 JEP 15.10

-35.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$68.5 JEP 50.9

-21.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$11.01 JEP 8.18

-14.44%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$4.01 JEP 2.98

-11.47%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.33 JEP 0.99

21.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.37 JEP 1.02

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$4.13 JEP 3.07

-24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$6.83 JEP 5.07

-32.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.76 JEP 1.31

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.02 JEP 1.50

34.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.00 JEP 1.49

-4.50%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$5.29 JEP 3.93

-51.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.18 JEP 3.10

139.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$11.95 JEP 8.88

-32.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.66 JEP 4.95

74.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.09 JEP 3.04

-27.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.06 JEP 1.53

-12.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.46 JEP 2.57

-41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$4.14 JEP 3.08

-50.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$3.94 JEP 2.93

-46.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.78 JEP 2.07

-18.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.98 JEP 1.47

-29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.67 JEP 1.24

-32.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$11.57 JEP 8.60

-63.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$10.97 JEP 8.15

41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$4.14 JEP 3.08

-57.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$6.77 JEP 5.03

-46.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$3.41 JEP 2.54

-88.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$70.6 JEP 52.4

-72.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$6.06 JEP 4.51

-77.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$3.86 JEP 2.87

-92.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.79 JEP 2.07

95.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$2.05 JEP 1.53

-36.59%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.6K JEP 16.8K

-17.29%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$33.6K JEP 24.9K

-31.07%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$134 JEP 99.5

-69.47%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$24.94 JEP 18.53

7.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$66.6 JEP 49.52

-55.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$86.6 JEP 64.4

-39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$20.14 JEP 14.96

33.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$14.91 JEP 11.08

-57.75%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$2,030 JEP 1,508

-78.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$16.9K JEP 12.6K

-38.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$96.2 JEP 71.5

-41.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$48.38 JEP 35.95

-8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$128 JEP 95.5

-19.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$137 JEP 102

-22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,933 JEP 1,437

-47.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$2,064 JEP 1,533

-69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$3,409 JEP 2,533

-37.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$3,721 JEP 2,765

-66.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.75

312.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for St Lawrence: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,933 in St Lawrence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $68.0 in St Lawrence for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $328 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 Lawrence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and St Lawrence differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $3,415 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $5,122 in St Lawrence 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,933 in St Lawrence. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 268% less than in St Lawrence. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $2,030 in St Lawrence. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,415 in St Lawrence, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St Lawrence. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and St Lawrence are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in St Lawrence. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.