Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $3,475 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
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Staefa Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Staefa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,475 in Staefa.

Mexico City $1,608
Staefa $3,475

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $5,304 in Staefa.

Mexico City $2,549
Staefa $5,304

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $7,132 in Staefa.

Mexico City $3,490
Staefa $7,132

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 54% less than in Staefa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Staefa 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$33.44 CHF 27.74

-68.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$122 CHF 101

-60.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$16.20 CHF 13.44

-36.11%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$6.25 CHF 5.19

-40.96%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$5.69 CHF 4.72

-70.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$5.10 CHF 4.23

-75.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$8.37 CHF 6.95

-61.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$8.60 CHF 7.13

-38.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$3.28 CHF 2.72

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$3.89 CHF 3.22

-50.13%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$8.36 CHF 6.93

-65.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$26.66 CHF 22.11

-58.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$26.56 CHF 22.03

-65.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$55.3 CHF 45.86

-72.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.49 CHF 2.89

-12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.78 CHF 2.31

-30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$3.58 CHF 2.97

-43.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$4.52 CHF 3.75

-48.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.47 CHF 2.05

-17.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.19 CHF 1.82

-17.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$2.45 CHF 2.03

-39.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$1.29 CHF 1.07

-1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$10.68 CHF 8.86

-50.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$14.15 CHF 11.74

13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$2.75 CHF 2.28

-28.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$3.21 CHF 2.66

32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$4.36 CHF 3.61

-92.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$101 CHF 83.6

-80.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$7.54 CHF 6.25

-75.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$4.69 CHF 3.89

-88.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$86.9 CHF 72.1

-93.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$2.32 CHF 1.92

-34.91%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

-44.49%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$38.5K CHF 32.0K

-37.78%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$232 CHF 193

-72.88%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$32.86 CHF 27.26

-16.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$55.5 CHF 46.08

-35.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$91.1 CHF 75.6

-35.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$46.55 CHF 38.62

-49.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$21.56 CHF 17.88

-70.32%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$2,904 CHF 2,409

-85.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$42.2K CHF 35.0K

-72.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$139 CHF 115

-50.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$58.4 CHF 48.42

-8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$145 CHF 121

-25.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$170 CHF 141

-30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$1,760 CHF 1,460

-36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$1,509 CHF 1,252

-52.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$2,982 CHF 2,474

-13.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$2,507 CHF 2,080

-43.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$16.4K CHF 13.6K

-77.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$12.2K CHF 10.1K

-82.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

1.72

559.88%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Staefa

$1.5K 43.4% 112% $799

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Staefa

$639 18.4% 99.8% $319

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Staefa

$493 14.2% 148% $295

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Staefa

$230 6.6% 47.8% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Staefa

$321 9.2% 154% $195

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Staefa

$134 3.9% 87.1% $63

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Staefa

$149 4.3% 486% $124

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,760 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $122 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $639 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇭 Staefa

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

18:42 6:42 PM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

11,567

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Staefa 9,700 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Staefa

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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Staefa differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $3,475 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $5,213 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,760 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 80% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $2,904 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,608 in Mexico City versus $3,475 in Staefa, a $3,000 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.