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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in St. Thomas versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in St. Thomas versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,348 in St. Thomas versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 58% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 71% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.58 CA$28.80

$12.96 MX$223

58.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 CA$103

$52.3 MX$900

40.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 CA$16.16

$9.69 MX$167

19.20%

Cappuccino

$3.60 CA$5.04

$3.75 MX$64.6

-4.00%

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

$1.76 CA$2.46

$1.56 MX$26.91

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.54

$1.16 MX$19.93

56.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.24 CA$7.33

$3.24 MX$55.8

61.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 CA$8.35

$4.90 MX$84.3

21.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CA$2.89

$1.70 MX$29.29

21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$2.67 MX$45.90

-0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 CA$4.59

$1.89 MX$32.49

73.54%

Eggs

$3.06 CA$4.29

$2.52 MX$43.37

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 CA$13.33

$10.02 MX$172

-4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.73

$8.53 MX$147

31.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 CA$22.26

$11.94 MX$205

33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.65

$2.97 MX$51.1

36.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$1.79 MX$30.88

-30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.50

$2.00 MX$34.40

60.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$1.96 MX$33.74

95.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.16

$2.16 MX$37.21

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.27 MX$39.04

14.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.21

$1.40 MX$24.14

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.01

$1.11 MX$19.18

28.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.15 CA$15.60

$4.20 MX$72.2

165.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 CA$17.93

$16.54 MX$285

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CA$2.87

$1.68 MX$28.94

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.63

$3.59 MX$61.8

-27.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.24

$0.39 MX$6.65

494.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 CA$89.7

$19.19 MX$330

233.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 CA$3.21

$1.38 MX$23.77

65.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 CA$2.37

$0.30 MX$5.19

463.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 CA$44.43

$5.39 MX$92.7

489.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.29 MX$22.13

-10.08%

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

$24.8K CA$34.7K

$18.9K MX$325.1K

31.25%

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

$20.3K CA$28.4K

$23.8K MX$409.5K

-14.76%

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

$135 CA$189

$39.86 MX$686

238.61%

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

$54.8 CA$76.7

$27.83 MX$479

96.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 CA$79.5

$29.77 MX$512

90.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.71 CA$58.4

$52.0 MX$894

-19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 CA$15.56

$6.27 MX$108

77.35%

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

$561 CA$785

$433 MX$7,443

29.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K CA$15.7K

$10.5K MX$181.3K

6.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.5

$57.0 MX$981

-4.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$53.3

$45.33 MX$780

-15.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 CA$121

$102 MX$1,753

-14.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 CA$114

$109 MX$1,867

-25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 CA$1,675

$994 MX$17.1K

20.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 CA$1,673

$617 MX$10.6K

93.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 CA$2,775

$2,086 MX$35.9K

-4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 CA$2,523

$1,256 MX$21.6K

43.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,417 CA$6,183

$3,936 MX$67.7K

12.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,633 CA$5,085

$2,089 MX$35.9K

73.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 CA$4,119

$1,131 MX$19.5K

160.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.34

-42.24%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: June 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,196 in St. Thomas and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 160% 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: $74.0 in St. Thomas vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 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. Thomas vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Thomas and Mexico City differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,281 vs $1,448 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

St. Thomas pays 160% more on average, 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: $1,196 in St. Thomas versus $994 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 234% less than in St. Thomas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in St. Thomas versus $433 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,448 in Mexico City versus $2,281 in St. Thomas, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St. Thomas. 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 58% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.