Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Staefa Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Staefa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $3,423 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $5,287 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $7,152 in Staefa.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 58% less than in Staefa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 8% above, Staefa 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$30.40 CHF 24.30

-57.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$918

$148 CHF 118

-64.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$18.33 CHF 14.66

-48.55%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.3

$6.32 CHF 5.05

-43.51%

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

$1.61 MX$28.02

$5.75 CHF 4.60

-72.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.14

$5.27 CHF 4.21

-78.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$7.68 CHF 6.14

-58.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.8

$7.21 CHF 5.76

-32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.66

$2.25 CHF 1.80

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.75 CHF 2.20

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.22

$3.63 CHF 2.91

-47.66%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.35

$7.86 CHF 6.28

-67.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$27.86 CHF 22.27

-63.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$32.36 CHF 25.86

-74.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$50.7 CHF 40.50

-77.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$3.16 CHF 2.53

-4.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$2.78 CHF 2.23

-38.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.76

$3.04 CHF 2.43

-32.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.95

$5.26 CHF 4.20

-60.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.03

$2.83 CHF 2.26

-27.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.87

$2.38 CHF 1.90

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.49

$2.50 CHF 2.00

-44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.58

$1.21 CHF 0.96

-7.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$11.19 CHF 8.95

-61.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$14.88 CHF 11.89

3.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.23

$2.76 CHF 2.20

-39.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.3

$2.39 CHF 1.91

54.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$3.96 CHF 3.17

-90.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

$98.1 CHF 78.4

-80.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.10

$6.91 CHF 5.52

-80.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.82

$4.16 CHF 3.32

-93.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.5

$43.78 CHF 34.99

-87.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.35

$2.24 CHF 1.79

-42.86%

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

$19.0K MX$331.3K

$41.2K CHF 32.9K

-53.95%

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

$23.5K MX$409.5K

$39.8K CHF 31.8K

-41.09%

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

$41.02 MX$716

$260 CHF 208

-84.22%

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

$26.92 MX$470

$36.00 CHF 28.77

-25.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$518

$52.4 CHF 41.86

-43.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$913

$88.2 CHF 70.5

-40.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

$24.37 CHF 19.48

-74.64%

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

$427 MX$7,454

$2,875 CHF 2,298

-85.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.7K

$39.6K CHF 31.6K

-72.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$992

$139 CHF 111

-59.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$782

$61.6 CHF 49.23

-27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,824

$149 CHF 119

-29.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,849

$199 CHF 159

-46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$1,667 CHF 1,332

-40.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.8K

$1,487 CHF 1,188

-58.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$2,853 CHF 2,281

-25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$2,471 CHF 1,975

-49.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.1K

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

-73.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$12.7K CHF 10.2K

-83.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.09

442.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Staefa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $1,667 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $148 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $650 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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Staefa differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $3,423 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $5,134 in Staefa 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $1,667 in Staefa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 415% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $2,875 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $3,423 in Staefa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Staefa. 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 Staefa 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 137% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.