Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,255 in Sao Tome versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Sao Tome versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,667 in Sao Tome versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Sao Tome costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Tome is 8% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 STN 193

$11.92 MX$205

-23.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.64 STN 993

$51.6 MX$886

-9.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 STN 177

$11.41 MX$196

-26.99%

Cappuccino

$2.29 STN 48.85

$3.99 MX$68.6

-42.61%

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

$1.86 STN 39.53

$1.66 MX$28.48

12.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 STN 27.89

$1.33 MX$22.77

-1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 STN 37.05

$3.47 MX$59.6

-49.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 STN 39.39

$5.90 MX$101

-68.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 STN 34.94

$1.88 MX$32.21

-12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 STN 21.31

$3.25 MX$55.9

-69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 STN 44.95

$2.16 MX$37.10

-2.31%

Eggs

$4.98 STN 106

$2.90 MX$49.72

71.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.88 STN 423

$12.86 MX$221

54.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.53 STN 437

$10.05 MX$173

104.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 STN 539

$15.86 MX$272

59.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 STN 81.9

$3.29 MX$56.6

17.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 STN 37.78

$2.01 MX$34.44

-11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 STN 78.4

$2.20 MX$37.76

67.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 STN 74.3

$2.36 MX$40.44

47.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 STN 64.7

$2.05 MX$35.27

48.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 STN 53.2

$1.90 MX$32.64

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 STN 11.15

$1.61 MX$27.55

-67.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 STN 43.60

$1.40 MX$23.98

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 STN 51.0

$5.46 MX$93.8

-56.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 STN 174

$17.65 MX$303

-53.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 STN 32.91

$2.06 MX$35.28

-25.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 STN 37.44

$4.68 MX$80.4

-62.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 STN 29.67

$0.34 MX$5.81

308.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 STN 35.79

$2.10 MX$35.99

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 STN 58.7

$0.56 MX$9.60

392.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.32 STN 305

$5.81 MX$99.8

146.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 STN 36.77

$1.61 MX$27.56

7.45%

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

$25.3K STN 539.0K

$22.8K MX$392.1K

10.79%

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

$32.2K STN 685.0K

$26.8K MX$459.2K

20.21%

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

$233 STN 4,973

$65.2 MX$1,119

258.22%

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

$32.20 STN 686

$30.09 MX$517

7.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 STN 1,483

$37.18 MX$638

87.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.32 STN 731

$59.8 MX$1,026

-42.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.87 STN 551

$26.55 MX$456

-2.56%

Cinema Ticket

$20.50 STN 437

$7.04 MX$121

191.19%

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

$240 STN 5,122

$465 MX$7,976

-48.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,220 STN 47.3K

$13.3K MX$227.8K

-83.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 STN 1,636

$56.0 MX$960

37.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.18 STN 409

$121 MX$2,068

-84.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 STN 6,200

$1,103 MX$18.9K

-73.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 STN 4,329

$721 MX$12.4K

-71.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 STN 20.5K

$2,530 MX$43.4K

-62.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 STN 9,763

$1,293 MX$22.2K

-64.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,852 STN 39.4K

$3,991 MX$68.5K

-53.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,174 STN 25.0K

$2,090 MX$35.9K

-43.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 STN 5,770

$1,037 MX$17.8K

-73.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

11.3

-34.69%

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

Last update for Sao Tome: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $291 in Sao Tome and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 283% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Sao Tome vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $423 vs $345, with Mexico City 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

Sao Tome vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome and Mexico City differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,255 vs $1,660 including rent). Sao Tome is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 283% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $291 in Sao Tome versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Sao Tome versus $465 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 Sao Tome – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,255 in Sao Tome versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Tome but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Tome 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.

Safety-wise, Sao Tome and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Tome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.