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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $914 in St.James versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,615 in St.James versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,317 in St.James versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in St.James costs roughly 38% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: St.James is 31% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 TTD 69.7

$13.14 MX$227

-21.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 TTD 598

$53.5 MX$926

66.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 TTD 50.5

$9.33 MX$161

-19.40%

Cappuccino

$3.64 TTD 24.41

$3.70 MX$64.0

-1.62%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.02

$1.60 MX$27.76

-34.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 TTD 5.26

$1.12 MX$19.34

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.13

$3.14 MX$54.3

-42.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 TTD 21.30

$4.85 MX$83.9

-34.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 TTD 18.06

$1.65 MX$28.61

63.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 TTD 18.85

$2.71 MX$46.96

3.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 TTD 17.59

$1.91 MX$33.03

37.17%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 33.86

$2.59 MX$44.81

94.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 TTD 53.8

$9.81 MX$170

-18.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 TTD 68.7

$8.43 MX$146

21.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 TTD 95.0

$11.93 MX$206

18.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 TTD 39.87

$2.95 MX$51.1

101.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 TTD 17.59

$1.74 MX$30.10

50.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 TTD 29.76

$2.04 MX$35.38

117.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 TTD 32.26

$2.06 MX$35.64

133.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.64

$2.15 MX$37.20

-33.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 TTD 11.57

$2.26 MX$39.02

-23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 TTD 12.82

$1.39 MX$23.97

37.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.37

$1.12 MX$19.31

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 TTD 39.31

$4.22 MX$73.0

38.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.42 TTD 130

$17.51 MX$303

10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 TTD 14.77

$1.71 MX$29.58

28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 TTD 18.28

$3.63 MX$62.8

-25.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 TTD 6.84

$1.38 MX$23.80

-26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 TTD 8.63

$0.28 MX$4.77

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 TTD 101

$5.28 MX$91.3

184.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.32

$1.36 MX$23.50

-19.85%

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

$34.0K TTD 228.3K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

78.00%

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

$38.6K TTD 259.4K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

63.63%

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

$79.3 TTD 532

$40.53 MX$701

95.56%

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

$46.15 TTD 310

$27.38 MX$474

68.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 TTD 419

$30.38 MX$526

105.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 TTD 67.9

$6.19 MX$107

63.33%

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

$325 TTD 2,184

$425 MX$7,355

-23.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,329 TTD 49.2K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-31.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 TTD 395

$58.3 MX$1,009

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.85 TTD 254

$44.57 MX$771

-15.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 TTD 965

$103 MX$1,791

38.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 TTD 867

$109 MX$1,881

18.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.34

-52.56%

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

Last update for St.James: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $89.0 in St.James vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $293 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.James vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St.James and Mexico City differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($914 vs $1,472 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,370 in St.James and $2,208 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $325 in St.James versus $425 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 St.James – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $914 in St.James versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in St.James but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes St.James 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.

Expats usually find St.James gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.