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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Saint-Louis versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,274 in Saint-Louis versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,765 in Saint-Louis versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Saint-Louis costs roughly 46% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint-Louis is 41% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 F CFA 1,996

$13.07 MX$229

-73.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 F CFA 30.4K

$53.8 MX$943

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 F CFA 5,848

$9.68 MX$170

5.37%

Cappuccino

$4.59 F CFA 2,633

$3.74 MX$65.6

22.73%

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

$0.92 F CFA 529

$1.62 MX$28.34

-43.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 F CFA 606

$1.16 MX$20.37

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 F CFA 1,037

$3.23 MX$56.6

-43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 F CFA 2,565

$4.74 MX$83.1

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 F CFA 1,513

$1.65 MX$28.89

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.27 F CFA 156

$2.75 MX$48.30

-90.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 F CFA 917

$1.87 MX$32.87

-14.44%

Eggs

$2.71 F CFA 1,554

$2.50 MX$43.86

8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 F CFA 7,409

$10.20 MX$179

26.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 F CFA 5,209

$8.25 MX$145

10.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 F CFA 6,272

$11.82 MX$207

-7.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 F CFA 1,571

$3.01 MX$52.8

-8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 F CFA 1,090

$1.81 MX$31.77

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 F CFA 1,492

$2.00 MX$35.07

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 F CFA 1,193

$2.00 MX$35.00

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 F CFA 857

$2.08 MX$36.56

-28.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 F CFA 773

$2.27 MX$39.85

-40.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 F CFA 587

$1.46 MX$25.55

-30.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 F CFA 390

$1.08 MX$18.88

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.55 F CFA 887

$4.35 MX$76.3

-64.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.11 F CFA 9,816

$16.99 MX$298

0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 F CFA 684

$1.73 MX$30.40

-31.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 F CFA 1,337

$3.58 MX$62.7

-34.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 F CFA 527

$1.33 MX$23.25

-30.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 F CFA 1,633

$0.28 MX$4.91

917.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.70 F CFA 10.2K

$5.25 MX$92.1

237.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 F CFA 1,030

$1.34 MX$23.44

34.33%

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

$36.0K F CFA 20.6M

$19.4K MX$340.5K

85.48%

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

$50.3K F CFA 28.8M

$23.8K MX$418.0K

110.95%

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

$140 F CFA 80.0K

$40.69 MX$714

242.98%

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

$9.72 F CFA 5,576

$26.87 MX$471

-63.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 F CFA 28.7K

$30.51 MX$535

64.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 F CFA 5,194

$6.51 MX$114

39.17%

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

$267 F CFA 152.9K

$428 MX$7,508

-37.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,248 F CFA 4.2M

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-30.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 F CFA 38.8K

$57.3 MX$1,004

18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.90 F CFA 25.2K

$45.50 MX$798

-3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 F CFA 59.0K

$104 MX$1,825

-1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 F CFA 73.6K

$108 MX$1,891

18.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 F CFA 254.0K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-55.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

11.34

-27.25%

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

Last update for Saint-Louis: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Saint-Louis and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Saint-Louis vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $292 per month, with Saint-Louis 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-Louis vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Louis and Mexico City differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($783 vs $1,456 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,174 in Saint-Louis and $2,185 in Mexico City 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: $443 in Saint-Louis versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Saint-Louis versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Louis – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Saint-Louis versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saint-Louis but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Louis 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 Saint-Louis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.