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: $936 in St.James versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,628 in St.James versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,320 in St.James versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in St.James costs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: St.James is 30% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.25 TTD 69.6

$12.98 MX$226

-21.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 TTD 607

$53.1 MX$923

68.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 TTD 50.7

$9.72 MX$169

-23.25%

Cappuccino

$3.67 TTD 24.95

$3.75 MX$65.2

-2.13%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.39

$1.57 MX$27.30

-30.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.58

$1.13 MX$19.64

-27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.41

$3.18 MX$55.3

-42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 TTD 20.62

$4.66 MX$81.1

-34.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 TTD 18.19

$1.62 MX$28.21

65.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 TTD 19.07

$2.71 MX$47.09

3.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 TTD 17.54

$1.88 MX$32.70

37.23%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 34.24

$2.51 MX$43.65

100.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 TTD 54.3

$10.08 MX$175

-20.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 TTD 71.3

$8.29 MX$144

26.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 TTD 95.9

$11.94 MX$208

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 TTD 39.71

$2.86 MX$49.77

104.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.83

$1.75 MX$30.45

50.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 TTD 29.43

$2.08 MX$36.27

108.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 TTD 31.80

$1.97 MX$34.27

137.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 TTD 10.12

$2.16 MX$37.58

-31.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.32

$2.18 MX$37.94

-23.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 TTD 12.82

$1.39 MX$24.20

35.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.52

$1.12 MX$19.57

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 TTD 39.26

$4.20 MX$73.1

37.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 TTD 131

$14.25 MX$248

35.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 TTD 14.25

$1.76 MX$30.68

19.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 TTD 18.29

$3.68 MX$64.1

-26.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.13

$1.39 MX$24.12

-24.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 TTD 8.41

$0.30 MX$5.29

313.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 TTD 102

$5.42 MX$94.3

176.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 TTD 7.79

$1.35 MX$23.50

-14.81%

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

$34.2K TTD 232.0K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

80.91%

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

$39.0K TTD 265.0K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

68.56%

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

$80.0 TTD 543

$40.82 MX$710

95.88%

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

$47.03 TTD 319

$27.50 MX$479

71.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 TTD 418

$30.38 MX$529

102.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 TTD 68.0

$6.27 MX$109

59.65%

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

$321 TTD 2,181

$436 MX$7,588

-26.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,320 TTD 49.7K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-30.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 TTD 407

$56.8 MX$988

5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.68 TTD 256

$44.79 MX$779

-15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 TTD 973

$103 MX$1,789

39.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 TTD 857

$108 MX$1,878

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $89.0 in St.James vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $286 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 59% in total monthly costs ($936 vs $1,484 including rent). St.James is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,404 in St.James and $2,225 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 $321 in St.James versus $436 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $936 in St.James versus $1,484 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.