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: $778 in Saint-Louis versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,264 in Saint-Louis versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,750 in Saint-Louis versus $3,274 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 42% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 F CFA 1,943

$13.18 MX$228

-73.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 F CFA 30.2K

$53.9 MX$932

-0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 F CFA 5,877

$9.42 MX$163

10.62%

Cappuccino

$4.51 F CFA 2,543

$3.55 MX$61.4

27.04%

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

$0.84 F CFA 475

$1.62 MX$27.98

-48.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 F CFA 594

$1.11 MX$19.27

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

$3.12 MX$54.0

-42.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 F CFA 2,416

$4.63 MX$80.1

-7.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 F CFA 1,450

$1.70 MX$29.43

51.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.27 F CFA 153

$2.72 MX$47.02

-90.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 F CFA 912

$1.91 MX$33.07

-15.18%

Eggs

$2.60 F CFA 1,464

$2.54 MX$43.86

2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 F CFA 7,107

$10.03 MX$174

25.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 F CFA 5,198

$8.09 MX$140

13.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 F CFA 6,176

$11.62 MX$201

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 F CFA 1,591

$2.97 MX$51.3

-5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 F CFA 1,126

$1.81 MX$31.24

10.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 F CFA 1,469

$2.01 MX$34.82

29.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 F CFA 1,164

$2.03 MX$35.20

1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 F CFA 874

$2.12 MX$36.75

-26.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 F CFA 755

$2.27 MX$39.25

-40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 F CFA 573

$1.40 MX$24.22

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 F CFA 408

$1.13 MX$19.55

-36.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.64 F CFA 922

$4.27 MX$73.9

-61.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 F CFA 8,643

$15.56 MX$269

-1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 F CFA 660

$1.76 MX$30.39

-33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 F CFA 1,266

$3.60 MX$62.2

-37.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 F CFA 514

$1.38 MX$23.79

-34.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.78 F CFA 1,569

$0.28 MX$4.78

892.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.72 F CFA 9,996

$5.45 MX$94.2

225.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 F CFA 974

$1.30 MX$22.55

33.08%

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

$36.0K F CFA 20.3M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

92.61%

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

$49.7K F CFA 28.0M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

115.00%

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

$140 F CFA 79.1K

$40.86 MX$707

243.42%

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

$9.67 F CFA 5,453

$26.81 MX$464

-63.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 F CFA 28.5K

$29.96 MX$518

68.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 F CFA 5,038

$6.30 MX$109

41.75%

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

$265 F CFA 149.6K

$436 MX$7,544

-39.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,357 F CFA 4.1M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-29.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 F CFA 39.2K

$56.7 MX$980

22.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.04 F CFA 24.8K

$44.38 MX$768

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 F CFA 58.2K

$103 MX$1,780

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 F CFA 73.1K

$106 MX$1,825

22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 F CFA 249.7K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-56.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Saint-Louis and $1,022 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 $270 vs $288 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 89% in total monthly costs ($778 vs $1,467 including rent). Saint-Louis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,167 in Saint-Louis and $2,201 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 $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Saint-Louis versus $436 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 $778 in Saint-Louis versus $1,467 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 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.