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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $3,459 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $5,306 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $7,154 in Staefa.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 52% less than in Staefa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Staefa 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$30.55 CHF 24.93

-60.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$125 CHF 102

-56.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$16.86 CHF 13.76

-34.22%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$6.51 CHF 5.32

-37.02%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$5.77 CHF 4.71

-70.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$5.26 CHF 4.29

-73.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$8.53 CHF 6.96

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$8.58 CHF 7.00

-31.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$3.50 CHF 2.86

-9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$3.82 CHF 3.12

-45.81%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$8.44 CHF 6.89

-65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$26.86 CHF 21.92

-53.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$26.23 CHF 21.40

-61.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$56.4 CHF 46.03

-71.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.54 CHF 2.89

-4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-27.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.52 CHF 2.87

-39.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$4.81 CHF 3.92

-49.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.68 CHF 2.19

-20.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-8.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$2.62 CHF 2.14

-40.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.34 CHF 1.09

1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$11.21 CHF 9.15

-48.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$13.71 CHF 11.19

29.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.78 CHF 2.27

-25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.94 CHF 2.40

56.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$4.41 CHF 3.60

-91.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$102 CHF 83.0

-79.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$7.98 CHF 6.52

-74.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-87.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$87.7 CHF 71.6

-93.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$2.41 CHF 1.96

-35.68%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$40.2K CHF 32.8K

-43.13%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$40.6K CHF 33.1K

-32.94%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$240 CHF 196

-71.87%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$33.33 CHF 27.20

-8.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$57.1 CHF 46.60

-34.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$104 CHF 84.6

-40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$46.60 CHF 38.03

-41.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$22.05 CHF 18.00

-67.76%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$2,953 CHF 2,410

-84.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$43.6K CHF 35.6K

-68.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$142 CHF 116

-47.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$59.2 CHF 48.33

-3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$149 CHF 122

-22.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$174 CHF 142

-30.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$1,486 CHF 1,213

-22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$1,526 CHF 1,246

-53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$2,762 CHF 2,254

-6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$2,220 CHF 1,812

-41.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

-72.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$12.7K CHF 10.4K

-83.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.72

556.98%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Staefa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $1,486 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $125 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $647 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 106% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $3,459 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $5,188 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $1,486 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 380% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $2,953 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $3,459 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.

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 106% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.