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: $3,727 in St. Gallen versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,400 in St. Gallen versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,074 in St. Gallen versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Gallen is roughly 126% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Gallen 171% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.15 CHF 24.52

$12.11 MX$206

148.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$52.2 MX$887

184.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.71 CHF 15.21

$10.90 MX$185

71.65%

Cappuccino

$6.16 CHF 5.01

$4.05 MX$68.8

52.10%

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

$6.01 CHF 4.89

$1.72 MX$29.13

249.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.37

$1.38 MX$23.40

289.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 CHF 7.37

$3.47 MX$58.9

161.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CHF 5.19

$5.81 MX$98.7

9.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.79

$1.85 MX$31.48

18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.56

$3.22 MX$54.7

-2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 CHF 3.09

$2.09 MX$35.42

81.82%

Eggs

$7.79 CHF 6.33

$2.91 MX$49.41

167.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.42 CHF 20.67

$12.49 MX$212

103.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.72 CHF 23.35

$10.11 MX$172

184.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.92 CHF 33.27

$15.89 MX$270

157.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.58

$3.31 MX$56.3

-4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CHF 1.27

$2.13 MX$36.12

-26.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.98

$2.19 MX$37.20

10.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.12 CHF 4.98

$2.45 MX$41.57

149.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.44

$2.19 MX$37.18

-19.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CHF 1.78

$1.90 MX$32.35

15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$1.62 MX$27.44

41.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 0.98

$1.35 MX$22.92

-10.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CHF 9.06

$5.43 MX$92.1

105.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.38

$17.59 MX$299

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$2.07 MX$35.12

8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.97

$4.75 MX$80.6

-49.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.26 CHF 3.46

$0.34 MX$5.77

1152.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 CHF 107

$21.58 MX$366

509.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 CHF 5.41

$2.04 MX$34.65

226.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.84 CHF 3.94

$0.58 MX$9.82

734.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$82.0 CHF 66.6

$5.97 MX$101

1273.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.62 MX$27.44

42.59%

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

$36.3K CHF 29.5K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

59.27%

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

$40.7K CHF 33.1K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

52.67%

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

$322 CHF 262

$65.2 MX$1,108

394.13%

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

$39.10 CHF 31.78

$29.87 MX$507

30.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CHF 44.73

$36.55 MX$621

50.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.1 CHF 66.8

$61.0 MX$1,036

34.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$98.8 CHF 80.4

$26.70 MX$453

270.19%

Cinema Ticket

$31.40 CHF 25.53

$6.85 MX$116

358.39%

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

$2,390 CHF 1,943

$453 MX$7,700

427.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

143.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 CHF 122

$75.0 MX$1,273

100.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 CHF 52.7

$55.3 MX$939

17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$114 MX$1,929

29.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 CHF 148

$123 MX$2,083

48.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 CHF 1,461

$1,134 MX$19.3K

58.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,405

$712 MX$12.1K

142.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,898 CHF 2,356

$2,571 MX$43.7K

12.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 CHF 1,818

$1,311 MX$22.3K

70.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$3,993 MX$67.8K

211.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,216 CHF 7,492

$2,095 MX$35.6K

339.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,049 CHF 5,731

$1,047 MX$17.8K

573.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

11.3

-81.42%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,797 in St. Gallen and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 573% 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: $148 in St. Gallen vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $581 vs $345 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 126% in total monthly costs ($3,727 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 573% 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: $1,797 in St. Gallen versus $1,134 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 510% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,390 in St. Gallen versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $3,727 in St. Gallen, a $3,000 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 126% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.