Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Denis and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Denis and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,752 in Saint-Denis versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Saint-Denis versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,696 in Saint-Denis versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Saint-Denis is roughly 4% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint-Denis 28% above, Mexico City 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.90 €11.89

$11.83 MX$200

17.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 €73.2

$52.2 MX$884

64.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.16 €12.97

$10.87 MX$184

39.47%

Cappuccino

$3.94 €3.37

$4.03 MX$68.2

-2.23%

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

$3.25 €2.78

$1.71 MX$28.99

90.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$1.34 MX$22.70

151.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 €6.50

$3.39 MX$57.5

123.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.84

$5.74 MX$97.3

-1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.89 MX$31.99

-10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 €2.60

$2.05 MX$34.74

48.29%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.09

$3.01 MX$51.1

59.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.04 €18.00

$12.61 MX$214

66.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.70 €11.72

$9.94 MX$169

37.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.07 €30.00

$16.00 MX$271

119.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 €4.95

$2.50 MX$42.44

131.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 €4.07

$1.87 MX$31.70

154.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.57 MX$26.66

50.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.39 MX$23.64

22.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 €9.74

$5.38 MX$91.2

111.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.87 €6.73

$17.95 MX$304

-56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.91

$2.02 MX$34.31

68.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.00

$4.76 MX$80.7

-26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.94

$0.36 MX$6.13

527.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.37 €37.95

$20.80 MX$353

113.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

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

$153 €131

$66.0 MX$1,118

131.77%

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

$15.81 €13.53

$30.98 MX$525

-48.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.56 €38.12

$36.20 MX$613

23.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.95 €29.04

$57.5 MX$975

-40.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 €12.05

$26.75 MX$453

-47.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.04

$7.13 MX$121

64.66%

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

$457 MX$7,738

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$162 €139

$75.8 MX$1,285

113.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 €121

$116 MX$1,974

21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €97.3

$122 MX$2,063

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 €734

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 €493

$726 MX$12.3K

-20.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 €1,288

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-39.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,650

$1,331 MX$22.6K

44.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,131 €1,823

$1,069 MX$18.1K

99.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Saint-Denis: August 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $858 in Saint-Denis and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint-Denis pays 99% 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: $86.0 in Saint-Denis vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 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

Saint-Denis vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Denis and Mexico City differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,752 vs $1,682 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 99% higher in Saint-Denis, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $858 in Saint-Denis versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $86.0 in Saint-Denis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 113% less than in Saint-Denis. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,682 in Mexico City versus $1,752 in Saint-Denis, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Saint-Denis. 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 4% less than in Saint-Denis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.