Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Gallen and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,529 in St. Gallen versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,441 in St. Gallen versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,353 in St. Gallen versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 142% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 164% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.33 CHF 24.52

$13.07 MX$229

132.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$53.8 MX$943

173.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.96

$9.68 MX$170

91.12%

Cappuccino

$6.36 CHF 5.14

$3.74 MX$65.6

70.05%

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

$5.84 CHF 4.72

$1.62 MX$28.34

260.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.31

$1.16 MX$20.37

359.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 CHF 6.19

$3.23 MX$56.6

137.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 CHF 5.88

$4.74 MX$83.1

53.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$1.65 MX$28.89

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CHF 2.15

$2.75 MX$48.30

-3.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.85

$1.87 MX$32.87

88.77%

Eggs

$8.31 CHF 6.72

$2.50 MX$43.86

232.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.25 CHF 22.03

$10.20 MX$179

167.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.23 CHF 26.06

$8.25 MX$145

290.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.77 CHF 33.77

$11.82 MX$207

253.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.65

$3.01 MX$52.8

8.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.50

$1.81 MX$31.77

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 1.98

$2.00 MX$35.07

22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.04 CHF 5.69

$2.00 MX$35.00

252.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.04

$2.08 MX$36.56

21.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.27 MX$39.85

2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.92

$1.46 MX$25.55

63.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.90

$1.08 MX$18.88

2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.73

$4.35 MX$76.3

148.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.32

$16.99 MX$298

-32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.73 MX$30.40

26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.93

$3.58 MX$62.7

-33.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 CHF 3.40

$0.39 MX$6.79

979.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 CHF 66.7

$18.69 MX$328

341.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 CHF 5.49

$1.33 MX$23.25

410.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.32

$0.28 MX$4.91

1364.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.4 CHF 64.2

$5.25 MX$92.1

1411.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$1.34 MX$23.44

59.70%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

109.37%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.0K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

71.30%

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

$324 CHF 262

$40.69 MX$714

695.50%

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

$59.4 CHF 48.00

$26.87 MX$471

120.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 42.23

$30.51 MX$535

71.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 CHF 66.9

$52.8 MX$926

56.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$100 CHF 80.9

$26.65 MX$467

275.42%

Cinema Ticket

$31.00 CHF 25.06

$6.51 MX$114

376.19%

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

$2,815 CHF 2,276

$428 MX$7,508

557.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

226.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 117

$57.3 MX$1,004

153.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 52.2

$45.50 MX$798

41.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 128

$104 MX$1,825

52.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 188

$108 MX$1,891

116.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CHF 1,468

$1,003 MX$17.6K

81.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 CHF 1,208

$623 MX$10.9K

140.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 CHF 2,258

$2,109 MX$37.0K

32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CHF 1,867

$1,218 MX$21.4K

89.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

218.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,105 CHF 7,362

$2,033 MX$35.7K

347.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,998 CHF 5,658

$1,038 MX$18.2K

574.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

11.34

-77.95%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in St. Gallen and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 574% 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: $147 in St. Gallen vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $610 vs $292 per month, with Mexico City 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

St. Gallen vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Gallen and Mexico City differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($3,529 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 574% higher in St. Gallen, 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: $1,816 in St. Gallen versus $1,003 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 341% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,815 in St. Gallen versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $3,529 in St. Gallen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St. Gallen. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, St. Gallen 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.