Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Louis, MO and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,351 in Saint Louis, MO, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Saint Louis, MO
Learn more

Saint Louis, MO Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,351

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Louis, MO and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint Louis, MO and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,351 in Saint Louis, MO versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Saint Louis, MO $2,351
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,539 in Saint Louis, MO versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

Saint Louis, MO $3,539
Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,726 in Saint Louis, MO versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

Saint Louis, MO $4,726
Mexico City $3,537

Living in Saint Louis, MO is roughly 40% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Louis, MO 74% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$10.59 MX$198

67.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 $77.3

$52.0 MX$972

48.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$10.73 MX$201

10.16%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$3.80 MX$71.0

32.37%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$1.61 MX$30.16

45.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.21 MX$22.67

43.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.18 MX$59.4

77.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$5.44 MX$102

28.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.72 MX$32.13

-24.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.97 MX$55.5

32.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.93 MX$36.02

205.70%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.77 MX$51.9

45.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 $13.70

$11.67 MX$218

17.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$9.48 MX$177

62.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$15.37 MX$288

31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$8.15 $8.15

$3.10 MX$58.1

162.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.96 MX$36.67

16.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.98 MX$37.07

184.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.34 MX$43.68

119.66%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.02 MX$37.85

114.36%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.82 MX$34.13

172.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.54 MX$28.89

83.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.31 MX$24.54

122.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.35 MX$100

46.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$16.19 MX$303

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.96 MX$36.64

43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$4.35 MX$81.4

-22.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.30 MX$5.70

756.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 $77.2

$19.49 MX$365

295.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.92 MX$35.86

80.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.47 MX$8.84

221.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.82 $39.82

$5.41 MX$101

636.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.48 MX$27.75

-31.76%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$21.4K MX$399.7K

37.21%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.8K MX$444.3K

11.96%

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

$246 $246

$62.0 MX$1,160

297.08%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$28.47 MX$533

139.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 $75.4

$34.11 MX$638

121.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 $29.69

$58.4 MX$1,092

-49.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.65 $19.65

$24.50 MX$458

-19.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$6.59 MX$123

108.35%

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

$1,396 $1,396

$434 MX$8,122

221.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$14.0K MX$262.5K

102.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$68.4 MX$1,278

-14.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 $39.65

$54.8 MX$1,025

-27.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 $88.9

$111 MX$2,073

-19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$116 MX$2,169

3.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$1,179 MX$22.1K

23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$879 $879

$771 MX$14.4K

14.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 $1,831

$2,570 MX$48.1K

-28.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 $1,507

$1,420 MX$26.6K

6.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 $1,621

$3,586 MX$67.1K

-54.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 $1,815

$2,064 MX$38.6K

-12.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 $4,333

$1,003 MX$18.8K

332.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.35

-40.79%

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

Last update for Saint Louis, MO: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Louis, MO

$879 37.4%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 12.3% $108

Groceries & Markets

Saint Louis, MO

$493 21%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 34.4% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Louis, MO

$390 16.6%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 68% $265

Eating Out

Saint Louis, MO

$296 12.6%

Mexico City

$201 12% 32.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Louis, MO

$138 5.9%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 14.1% $19

Getting Around

Saint Louis, MO

$98 4.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 74.6% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Louis, MO

$57 2.4%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 25.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,456 in Saint Louis, MO and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Louis, MO pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Saint Louis, MO vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $493 vs $324 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

Same time as Saint Louis, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,578

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Louis, MO Mexico City 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Louis, MO
Mexico City

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

Saint Louis, MO vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,351 in Saint Louis, MO and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Saint Louis, MO is about 4.3 times higher, 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: $1,456 in Saint Louis, MO versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 75% less than in Saint Louis, MO. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,396 in Saint Louis, MO versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 29% less than in Saint Louis, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.