Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint Paul, MN 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 Paul, MN and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Saint Paul, MN $2,445
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Saint Paul, MN $3,672
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Saint Paul, MN $4,900
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Saint Paul, MN is roughly 52% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Paul, MN 80% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.66 $15.66

$10.62 MX$198

47.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$48.35 MX$901

40.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.35 MX$193

-2.71%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$3.69 MX$68.7

36.31%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$1.67 MX$31.05

85.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.27 MX$23.58

103.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.19 MX$59.5

89.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$5.31 MX$98.9

38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.72 MX$32.13

-43.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.04 MX$56.6

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.94 MX$36.17

71.65%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$2.89 MX$53.8

2.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 $9.39

$10.97 MX$204

-14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$9.25 MX$172

4.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$15.13 MX$282

-12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.05 MX$56.8

58.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.94 MX$36.17

-42.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.03 MX$37.73

189.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.31 MX$43.12

112.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.04 MX$37.91

86.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.80 MX$33.53

93.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.48 MX$27.56

38.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.27 MX$23.62

37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.68 $12.68

$5.30 MX$98.8

139.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$16.10 MX$300

-9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.98 MX$36.95

-14.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.25 MX$79.2

-19.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.31 MX$5.68

532.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$19.73 MX$368

426.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.84 MX$34.23

38.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.53 MX$9.94

186.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 $31.02

$5.30 MX$98.7

485.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.51 MX$28.14

-31.79%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.8K MX$405.3K

24.54%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.0K MX$446.9K

10.82%

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

$232 $232

$63.0 MX$1,173

268.83%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$27.39 MX$510

84.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$35.67 MX$664

81.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.74 $29.74

$58.9 MX$1,098

-49.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 $8.50

$23.64 MX$441

-64.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 $13.07

$6.40 MX$119

104.22%

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

$1,481 $1,481

$432 MX$8,041

243.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$11.4K MX$212.8K

145.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.01 $41.01

$68.2 MX$1,271

-39.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.23 $40.23

$53.1 MX$990

-24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 $82.1

$108 MX$2,008

-23.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$117 MX$2,185

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$1,113 MX$20.7K

29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 $1,153

$710 MX$13.2K

62.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$2,588 MX$48.2K

2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$1,406 MX$26.2K

51.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 $2,631

$3,631 MX$67.6K

-27.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 $1,949

$2,135 MX$39.8K

-8.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 $4,256

$946 MX$17.6K

349.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

11.35

-44.41%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 38.4% $443

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 11.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 63.7% $222

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 29.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 26.6% $33

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 79.1% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 28.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Paul, MN pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Saint Paul, MN vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

20:15 8:15 PM

1 h behind Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Mexico City 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
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 Paul, MN vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Saint Paul, MN is about 4.5 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: $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN versus $1,113 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 81% less than in Saint Paul, MN. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Saint Paul, MN versus $432 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 34% less than in Saint Paul, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.