Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St. Thomas Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St. Thomas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,292 in St. Thomas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $3,392 in St. Thomas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $4,491 in St. Thomas.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 36% less than in St. Thomas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, St. Thomas 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$19.97 CA$27.99

-34.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$74.2 CA$104

-27.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$11.18 CA$15.67

-16.55%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.53 CA$4.94

4.82%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.77 CA$2.48

-9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$1.82 CA$2.55

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$5.02 CA$7.04

-37.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$5.75 CA$8.05

-15.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$2.03 CA$2.84

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.60 CA$3.64

4.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$3.33 CA$4.66

-42.64%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$3.05 CA$4.27

-15.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$9.55 CA$13.38

2.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$11.10 CA$15.55

-24.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$15.62 CA$21.89

-23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$4.18 CA$5.86

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.24 CA$1.74

40.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.18 CA$4.46

-35.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$3.73 CA$5.23

-44.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.89 CA$4.05

-25.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.55 CA$3.58

-11.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$2.43 CA$3.40

-42.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.44 CA$2.02

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$11.08 CA$15.52

-61.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$12.45 CA$17.44

40.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.06 CA$2.89

-16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.58 CA$3.62

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$2.34 CA$3.28

-85.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$62.3 CA$87.3

-68.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$2.41 CA$3.38

-42.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.70 CA$2.38

-83.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$31.51 CA$44.15

-83.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.12 CA$1.57

21.43%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$25.2K CA$35.3K

-24.14%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$20.7K CA$29.0K

14.05%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$133 CA$186

-69.51%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$53.1 CA$74.4

-48.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$56.9 CA$79.8

-46.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$42.13 CA$59.0

23.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$10.89 CA$15.26

-43.16%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$559 CA$784

-24.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$11.2K CA$15.6K

-3.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$55.8 CA$78.2

4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$38.44 CA$53.9

15.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$86.5 CA$121

19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$80.3 CA$112

35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$1,170 CA$1,639

-13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$1,158 CA$1,622

-46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$2,034 CA$2,851

4.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$1,805 CA$2,530

-32.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$4,317 CA$6,049

-12.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$3,607 CA$5,055

-41.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$2,931 CA$4,108

-64.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.55

73.13%

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. Thomas: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $1,170 in St. Thomas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 179% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $74.0 in St. Thomas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $344 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. Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and St. Thomas differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $2,292 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 179% lower in St. Thomas. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $1,170 in St. Thomas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 223% less than in St. Thomas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $559 in St. Thomas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,292 in St. Thomas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St. Thomas. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.