Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Joseph, MO and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Joseph, MO and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in St. Joseph, MO versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,745 in St. Joseph, MO versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,864 in St. Joseph, MO versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Joseph, MO is roughly 81% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Joseph, MO 97% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 $18.80

$12.96 MX$223

45.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$52.3 MX$900

44.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$9.69 MX$167

14.14%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$3.75 MX$64.6

37.07%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.56 MX$26.91

60.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.16 MX$19.93

71.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.24 MX$55.8

79.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.90 MX$84.3

41.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.70 MX$29.29

-41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.67 MX$45.90

28.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.89 MX$32.49

121.69%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$2.52 MX$43.37

67.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 $12.11

$10.02 MX$172

20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$8.53 MX$147

32.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$11.94 MX$205

28.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.97 MX$51.1

62.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.79 MX$30.88

-12.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.00 MX$34.40

114.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.96 MX$33.74

137.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.16 MX$37.21

30.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.27 MX$39.04

22.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.40 MX$24.14

43.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.11 MX$19.18

97.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.79 $9.79

$4.20 MX$72.2

133.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 $13.87

$16.54 MX$285

-16.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.68 MX$28.94

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.59 MX$61.8

-8.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.39 MX$6.65

410.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.38 MX$23.77

155.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$0.30 MX$5.19

436.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.35 $29.35

$5.39 MX$92.7

444.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.29 MX$22.13

-31.01%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$18.9K MX$325.1K

58.18%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$23.8K MX$409.5K

7.15%

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

$189 $189

$39.86 MX$686

373.13%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$27.83 MX$479

92.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$29.77 MX$512

122.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.49 $43.49

$52.0 MX$894

-16.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 $13.36

$6.27 MX$108

113.08%

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

$1,317 $1,317

$433 MX$7,443

204.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$10.5K MX$181.3K

122.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$57.0 MX$981

-12.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 $40.42

$45.33 MX$780

-10.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$102 MX$1,753

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$109 MX$1,867

1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$994 MX$17.1K

58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$617 MX$10.6K

116.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,671 $2,671

$2,086 MX$35.9K

28.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 $2,235

$1,256 MX$21.6K

77.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,734 $2,734

$3,936 MX$67.7K

-30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,454 $2,454

$2,089 MX$35.9K

17.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.34

-42.59%

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

Last update for St. Joseph, MO: June 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,580 in St. Joseph, MO and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in St. Joseph, MO vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $292 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. Joseph, MO vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Joseph, MO and Mexico City differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $1,448 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,939 in St. Joseph, MO and $2,173 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,580 in St. Joseph, MO versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,317 in St. Joseph, MO versus $433 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $76.0 in St. Joseph, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,448 in Mexico City versus $2,626 in St. Joseph, MO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St. Joseph, MO. 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 81% less than in St. Joseph, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.