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: $876 in Saint-Louis versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Saint-Louis versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Saint-Louis versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Saint-Louis costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint-Louis is 36% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 F CFA 1,962

$12.11 MX$205

-71.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 F CFA 31.4K

$52.2 MX$883

6.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 F CFA 6,615

$10.90 MX$184

7.71%

Cappuccino

$3.44 F CFA 1,940

$4.05 MX$68.5

-15.06%

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

$1.25 F CFA 704

$1.72 MX$29.00

-27.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 F CFA 493

$1.38 MX$23.29

-36.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 F CFA 1,033

$3.47 MX$58.6

-47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 F CFA 2,478

$5.81 MX$98.2

-24.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 F CFA 1,568

$1.85 MX$31.33

50.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 F CFA 158

$3.22 MX$54.5

-91.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 978

$2.09 MX$35.25

-16.75%

Eggs

$2.60 F CFA 1,465

$2.91 MX$49.18

-10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.34 F CFA 9,775

$12.49 MX$211

38.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.58 F CFA 5,397

$10.11 MX$171

-5.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 F CFA 6,432

$15.89 MX$269

-28.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 F CFA 1,835

$3.31 MX$56.0

-1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 F CFA 1,078

$2.13 MX$35.95

-10.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 F CFA 1,684

$2.19 MX$37.03

36.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

$2.45 MX$41.37

-26.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 F CFA 778

$2.19 MX$37.00

-36.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 F CFA 592

$1.90 MX$32.20

-44.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 F CFA 670

$1.62 MX$27.31

-26.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 F CFA 413

$1.35 MX$22.82

-45.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 F CFA 1,284

$5.43 MX$91.7

-58.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 F CFA 9,947

$17.59 MX$297

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 F CFA 905

$2.07 MX$34.96

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 F CFA 1,918

$4.75 MX$80.2

-28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 F CFA 526

$2.04 MX$34.49

-54.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 F CFA 1,226

$0.58 MX$9.77

275.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.55 F CFA 9,891

$5.97 MX$101

193.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 F CFA 945

$1.62 MX$27.31

3.70%

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

$52.0K F CFA 29.3M

$22.8K MX$385.6K

127.74%

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

$50.4K F CFA 28.4M

$26.7K MX$450.7K

89.21%

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

$209 F CFA 117.6K

$65.2 MX$1,103

219.94%

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

$11.91 F CFA 6,712

$29.87 MX$505

-60.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.07 F CFA 27.1K

$36.55 MX$618

31.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 F CFA 5,066

$6.85 MX$116

31.24%

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

$316 F CFA 178.2K

$453 MX$7,664

-30.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-19.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 F CFA 34.0K

$75.0 MX$1,267

-19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.08 F CFA 27.1K

$55.3 MX$935

-13.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 F CFA 50.1K

$114 MX$1,920

-21.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 F CFA 56.7K

$123 MX$2,073

-18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 F CFA 253.5K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-60.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

11.3

-22.57%

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

Last update for Saint-Louis: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Saint-Louis and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Saint-Louis vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $345, with Saint-Louis cheaper for home cooking.

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 88% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $1,646 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,313 in Saint-Louis and $2,469 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: $450 in Saint-Louis versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Saint-Louis versus $453 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 $56.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $876 in Saint-Louis versus $1,646 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.