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: $2,536 in St. Joseph, MO versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,765 in St. Joseph, MO versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,994 in St. Joseph, MO versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Joseph, MO is roughly 51% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Joseph, MO 85% above, Mexico City 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.91 $18.91

$11.83 MX$200

59.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$52.2 MX$884

43.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 $11.18

$10.87 MX$184

2.85%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$4.03 MX$68.2

28.54%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.71 MX$28.99

45.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.34 MX$22.70

46.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.39 MX$57.5

74.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.74 MX$97.3

18.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.89 MX$31.99

-44.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.17 MX$53.8

13.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.05 MX$34.74

108.78%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$3.01 MX$51.1

39.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$12.61 MX$214

-2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$9.94 MX$169

16.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$16.00 MX$271

-4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.28 MX$55.6

45.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.06 MX$34.87

-21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.09 MX$35.36

108.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.50 MX$42.44

84.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.05 MX$34.76

40.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.87 MX$31.70

52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.57 MX$26.66

33.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.39 MX$23.64

50.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$5.38 MX$91.2

75.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 $14.23

$17.95 MX$304

-20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.02 MX$34.31

-12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$4.76 MX$80.7

-28.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.36 MX$6.13

441.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.06 MX$34.92

70.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.56 MX$9.55

191.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.75 $28.75

$5.82 MX$98.6

393.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.54 MX$26.05

-46.10%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$22.5K MX$380.6K

32.41%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.5K MX$448.7K

-4.54%

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

$190 $190

$66.0 MX$1,118

188.69%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$30.98 MX$525

69.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$36.20 MX$613

87.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.03 $43.03

$57.5 MX$975

-25.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 $13.33

$7.13 MX$121

86.96%

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

$1,289 $1,289

$457 MX$7,738

182.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$13.2K MX$224.5K

77.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$75.8 MX$1,285

-32.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 $40.48

$54.1 MX$917

-25.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$116 MX$1,974

-26.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$122 MX$2,063

-8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$1,147 MX$19.4K

37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 $1,353

$726 MX$12.3K

86.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 $2,680

$2,503 MX$42.4K

7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 $2,244

$1,331 MX$22.6K

68.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,755 $2,755

$3,895 MX$66.0K

-29.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,492 $2,492

$2,149 MX$36.4K

15.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.35

-42.64%

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

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,576 in St. Joseph, MO and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in St. Joseph, MO vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $344 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 51% in total monthly costs ($2,536 vs $1,682 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,804 in St. Joseph, MO and $2,523 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: $1,576 in St. Joseph, MO versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,289 in St. Joseph, MO versus $457 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 $75.0 in St. Joseph, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,682 in Mexico City versus $2,536 in St. Joseph, MO, a $3,000 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 51% less than in St. Joseph, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.