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: $2,292 in St. Thomas versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in St. Thomas versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,491 in St. Thomas versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 56% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 72% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 CA$27.99

$13.14 MX$227

51.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$53.5 MX$926

38.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 CA$15.67

$9.33 MX$161

19.83%

Cappuccino

$3.53 CA$4.94

$3.70 MX$64.0

-4.59%

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

$1.77 CA$2.48

$1.60 MX$27.76

10.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.55

$1.12 MX$19.34

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.04

$3.14 MX$54.3

59.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$8.05

$4.85 MX$83.9

18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 CA$2.84

$1.65 MX$28.61

23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.71 MX$46.96

-4.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.66

$1.91 MX$33.03

74.35%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.27

$2.59 MX$44.81

17.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 CA$13.38

$9.81 MX$170

-2.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 CA$15.55

$8.43 MX$146

31.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 CA$21.89

$11.93 MX$206

30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.86

$2.95 MX$51.1

41.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.74 MX$30.10

-28.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.46

$2.04 MX$35.38

55.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.23

$2.06 MX$35.64

81.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.05

$2.15 MX$37.20

34.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$2.26 MX$39.02

12.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.40

$1.39 MX$23.97

74.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.12 MX$19.31

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 CA$15.52

$4.22 MX$73.0

162.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 CA$17.44

$17.51 MX$303

-28.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.89

$1.71 MX$29.58

20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$3.63 MX$62.8

-28.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$0.35 MX$6.10

568.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 CA$87.3

$19.32 MX$334

222.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$1.38 MX$23.80

74.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$0.28 MX$4.77

507.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.51 CA$44.15

$5.28 MX$91.3

496.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.57

$1.36 MX$23.50

-17.65%

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

$25.2K CA$35.3K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

31.83%

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

$20.7K CA$29.0K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

-12.32%

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

$133 CA$186

$40.53 MX$701

227.95%

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

$53.1 CA$74.4

$27.38 MX$474

93.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CA$79.8

$30.38 MX$526

87.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.13 CA$59.0

$52.2 MX$903

-19.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 CA$15.26

$6.19 MX$107

75.93%

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

$559 CA$784

$425 MX$7,355

31.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K CA$15.6K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

3.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 CA$78.2

$58.3 MX$1,009

-4.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.44 CA$53.9

$44.57 MX$771

-13.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 CA$121

$103 MX$1,791

-16.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CA$112

$109 MX$1,881

-26.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 CA$1,639

$1,014 MX$17.5K

15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 CA$1,622

$623 MX$10.8K

85.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 CA$2,851

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CA$2,530

$1,223 MX$21.2K

47.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,317 CA$6,049

$3,792 MX$65.6K

13.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,607 CA$5,055

$2,110 MX$36.5K

70.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,931 CA$4,108

$1,052 MX$18.2K

178.59%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,170 in St. Thomas and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 179% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $293 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 56% in total monthly costs ($2,292 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 179% higher in St. Thomas, 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: $1,170 in St. Thomas versus $1,014 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 223% less than in St. Thomas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $559 in St. Thomas versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,292 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 56% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.