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: $3,569 in St. Gallen versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,433 in St. Gallen versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,296 in St. Gallen versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 143% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 166% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.20 CHF 23.81

$13.18 MX$228

129.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 117

$53.9 MX$932

176.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 14.45

$9.42 MX$163

94.59%

Cappuccino

$6.23 CHF 4.91

$3.55 MX$61.4

75.49%

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

$5.87 CHF 4.63

$1.62 MX$27.98

262.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.24

$1.11 MX$19.27

384.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 CHF 5.81

$3.12 MX$54.0

135.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 CHF 5.64

$4.63 MX$80.1

54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.76

$1.70 MX$29.43

31.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CHF 2.11

$2.72 MX$47.02

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.82

$1.91 MX$33.07

87.43%

Eggs

$8.15 CHF 6.42

$2.54 MX$43.86

220.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.21 CHF 21.45

$10.03 MX$174

171.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.59 CHF 25.69

$8.09 MX$140

302.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.95 CHF 32.29

$11.62 MX$201

252.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.47

$2.97 MX$51.3

5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 CHF 1.46

$1.81 MX$31.24

2.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 CHF 2.03

$2.01 MX$34.82

28.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.26 CHF 5.72

$2.03 MX$35.20

257.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.02

$2.12 MX$36.75

20.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.85

$2.27 MX$39.25

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$1.40 MX$24.22

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.87

$1.13 MX$19.55

-1.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 8.71

$4.27 MX$73.9

158.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 CHF 9.31

$15.56 MX$269

-24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CHF 1.70

$1.76 MX$30.39

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.82

$3.60 MX$62.2

-35.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.32 CHF 3.41

$0.38 MX$6.62

1036.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 CHF 63.5

$19.18 MX$332

320.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 CHF 5.41

$1.38 MX$23.79

397.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.20 CHF 3.31

$0.28 MX$4.78

1400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 CHF 62.3

$5.45 MX$94.2

1349.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.66

$1.30 MX$22.55

61.54%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

113.68%

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

$41.5K CHF 32.7K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

79.22%

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

$332 CHF 262

$40.86 MX$707

712.07%

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

$59.3 CHF 46.73

$26.81 MX$464

121.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CHF 41.63

$29.96 MX$518

76.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 CHF 64.1

$52.0 MX$900

56.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$99.3 CHF 78.3

$26.84 MX$464

270.12%

Cinema Ticket

$30.30 CHF 23.89

$6.30 MX$109

380.95%

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

$2,792 CHF 2,202

$436 MX$7,544

540.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.5K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

235.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 117

$56.7 MX$980

161.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 51.1

$44.38 MX$768

45.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 CHF 123

$103 MX$1,780

52.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$238 CHF 187

$106 MX$1,825

125.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 CHF 1,431

$1,022 MX$17.7K

77.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 CHF 1,203

$631 MX$10.9K

141.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 CHF 2,154

$2,136 MX$36.9K

27.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 CHF 1,868

$1,243 MX$21.5K

90.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,511

$3,903 MX$67.5K

176.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,655 CHF 6,823

$2,064 MX$35.7K

319.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,138 CHF 5,628

$1,115 MX$19.3K

540.15%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in St. Gallen and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 540% 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: $149 in St. Gallen vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $611 vs $288 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 143% in total monthly costs ($3,569 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

St. Gallen pays 540% more on average, 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: $1,814 in St. Gallen versus $1,022 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 320% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,792 in St. Gallen versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,569 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 143% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.