Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,136 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,210 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,285 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is roughly 27% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 55% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.36 CA$25.47

$12.14 MX$206

51.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$100

$53.9 MX$916

34.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 CA$16.76

$11.09 MX$188

9.02%

Cappuccino

$4.13 CA$5.73

$4.10 MX$69.6

0.73%

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

$2.54 CA$3.53

$1.68 MX$28.57

51.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.39 MX$23.58

59.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 CA$7.14

$3.33 MX$56.6

54.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 CA$7.51

$5.88 MX$99.9

-7.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 CA$3.97

$1.85 MX$31.45

54.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 CA$4.33

$3.17 MX$53.9

-1.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.23

$2.07 MX$35.18

116.91%

Eggs

$3.62 CA$5.02

$2.93 MX$49.74

23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$15.91

$12.59 MX$214

-8.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.64 CA$18.92

$10.11 MX$172

34.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 CA$16.86

$16.09 MX$273

-24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.52

$3.39 MX$57.6

38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.33

$2.08 MX$35.31

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 CA$6.82

$2.12 MX$36.02

132.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.12

$2.41 MX$41.01

23.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.84

$2.13 MX$36.17

30.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.21

$2.01 MX$34.07

14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.31 CA$5.98

$1.55 MX$26.25

178.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CA$2.82

$1.36 MX$23.19

49.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.30 CA$19.83

$5.77 MX$98.0

147.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.35 CA$22.67

$17.74 MX$301

-7.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.20 CA$5.82

$2.07 MX$35.16

102.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 CA$6.12

$4.61 MX$78.4

-4.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 CA$2.49

$0.37 MX$6.21

383.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.2 CA$79.3

$21.18 MX$360

169.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.44

$2.05 MX$34.89

56.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 CA$2.54

$0.58 MX$9.80

215.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.29 CA$40.62

$6.07 MX$103

382.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.79

$1.55 MX$26.38

-16.77%

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

$28.2K CA$39.1K

$22.9K MX$388.6K

23.17%

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

$22.3K CA$31.0K

$27.2K MX$462.7K

-17.95%

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

$185 CA$257

$67.4 MX$1,145

174.90%

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

$42.87 CA$59.5

$30.62 MX$520

40.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 CA$106

$37.24 MX$633

104.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 CA$93.9

$61.5 MX$1,044

10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 CA$27.10

$27.12 MX$461

-27.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 CA$14.86

$7.11 MX$121

50.63%

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

$535 CA$741

$456 MX$7,750

17.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,997 CA$13.9K

$13.7K MX$232.6K

-26.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 CA$93.6

$74.2 MX$1,260

-9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 CA$71.1

$57.0 MX$969

-10.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 CA$113

$115 MX$1,961

-29.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 CA$132

$122 MX$2,064

-21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 CA$1,390

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 CA$1,102

$709 MX$12.1K

11.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 CA$2,178

$2,577 MX$43.8K

-39.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 CA$1,930

$1,295 MX$22.0K

7.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 CA$2,762

$4,005 MX$68.0K

-50.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,635 CA$2,268

$2,130 MX$36.2K

-23.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,831 CA$3,926

$1,082 MX$18.4K

161.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

11.3

-59.56%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: September 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador pays 162% 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: $72.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 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. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,136 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% higher in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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: $1,003 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,148 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 170% less than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $535 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,136 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.