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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $3,468 in Staefa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $5,299 in Staefa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $7,130 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 9% above, Staefa 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$30.93 CHF 24.25

-57.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$150 CHF 117

-64.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$18.16 CHF 14.23

-48.13%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$6.29 CHF 4.93

-42.93%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$5.98 CHF 4.69

-72.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$5.37 CHF 4.21

-79.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$7.69 CHF 6.03

-57.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$7.06 CHF 5.54

-34.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.15 CHF 1.68

-23.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$2.86 CHF 2.24

-7.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$3.71 CHF 2.91

-47.17%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$8.18 CHF 6.41

-68.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$27.20 CHF 21.32

-63.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$32.43 CHF 25.42

-74.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$49.54 CHF 38.84

-76.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$3.13 CHF 2.45

-8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$2.77 CHF 2.18

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$3.00 CHF 2.35

-33.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$5.21 CHF 4.09

-60.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.83 CHF 2.22

-27.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$2.37 CHF 1.86

-3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$2.55 CHF 2.00

-43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.26 CHF 0.99

-13.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$10.87 CHF 8.52

-60.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$15.56 CHF 12.20

-5.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$2.70 CHF 2.12

-34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.33 CHF 1.83

53.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$4.01 CHF 3.14

-90.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$99.5 CHF 78.0

-81.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$6.60 CHF 5.17

-78.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$4.13 CHF 3.24

-92.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$42.83 CHF 33.58

-87.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$2.23 CHF 1.75

-39.91%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$41.2K CHF 32.3K

-54.23%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$38.8K CHF 30.4K

-40.19%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$255 CHF 200

-84.21%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$36.01 CHF 28.23

-24.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$52.8 CHF 41.40

-44.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$86.5 CHF 67.9

-39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$24.66 CHF 19.33

-74.94%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$2,838 CHF 2,225

-84.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$39.5K CHF 31.0K

-72.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$139 CHF 109

-58.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$62.4 CHF 48.90

-27.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$150 CHF 118

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$199 CHF 156

-45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$1,728 CHF 1,355

-42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$1,463 CHF 1,147

-56.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$2,779 CHF 2,179

-22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$2,482 CHF 1,946

-49.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$12.4K CHF 9,688

-69.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$11.1K CHF 8,732

-78.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Staefa: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $1,728 in Staefa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $150 in Staefa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $648 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 ($1,466 vs $3,468 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $5,202 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $1,728 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 431% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $2,838 in Staefa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $3,468 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.