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: $2,309 in St. Thomas versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,403 in St. Thomas versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,497 in St. Thomas versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in St. Thomas is roughly 39% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 69% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.46 CA$30.02

$11.92 MX$206

80.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 CA$90.2

$51.6 MX$890

25.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 CA$15.94

$11.41 MX$197

-0.18%

Cappuccino

$3.42 CA$4.79

$3.99 MX$68.9

-14.29%

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

$2.12 CA$2.97

$1.66 MX$28.61

27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.33 MX$22.87

23.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 CA$6.94

$3.47 MX$59.9

42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 CA$8.60

$5.90 MX$102

4.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.88 MX$32.36

14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.81

$3.25 MX$56.1

-16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.15

$2.16 MX$37.26

70.37%

Eggs

$3.19 CA$4.46

$2.90 MX$49.94

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 CA$12.99

$12.86 MX$222

-27.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.28 CA$22.77

$10.05 MX$173

61.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 CA$27.67

$15.86 MX$273

24.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.69

$3.29 MX$56.8

23.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$2.01 MX$34.60

-34.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.51

$2.20 MX$37.93

79.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.55

$2.36 MX$40.63

67.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.74

$2.05 MX$35.43

65.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$1.90 MX$32.79

66.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 CA$4.24

$1.61 MX$27.68

88.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.11

$1.40 MX$24.09

7.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 CA$15.89

$5.46 MX$94.2

108.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CA$17.94

$17.65 MX$304

-27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$2.06 MX$35.44

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.91

$4.68 MX$80.8

-40.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$0.34 MX$5.84

547.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 CA$90.8

$20.81 MX$359

212.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 CA$3.42

$2.10 MX$36.15

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$0.56 MX$9.64

203.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.48 CA$31.44

$5.81 MX$100

286.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.54

$1.61 MX$27.68

-31.68%

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

$28.7K CA$40.2K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

25.80%

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

$20.8K CA$29.1K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-22.31%

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

$126 CA$176

$65.2 MX$1,124

92.65%

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

$44.17 CA$61.8

$30.09 MX$519

46.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 CA$80.1

$37.18 MX$641

54.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 CA$59.3

$59.8 MX$1,030

-29.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 CA$27.63

$26.55 MX$458

-25.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 CA$14.98

$7.04 MX$121

51.99%

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

$414 CA$579

$465 MX$8,012

-10.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K CA$24.0K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 CA$77.1

$75.9 MX$1,308

-27.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 CA$51.2

$56.0 MX$965

-34.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 CA$115

$112 MX$1,929

-26.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.8 CA$130

$121 MX$2,078

-23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 CA$1,625

$1,103 MX$19.0K

5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 CA$1,544

$721 MX$12.4K

53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 CA$2,886

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-18.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 CA$2,253

$1,293 MX$22.3K

24.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,240 CA$5,931

$3,991 MX$68.8K

6.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,630 CA$5,078

$2,090 MX$36.0K

73.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,089 CA$4,322

$1,037 MX$17.9K

197.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

11.3

-55.84%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,161 in St. Thomas and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 198% 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: $64.0 in St. Thomas vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 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. Thomas vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Thomas and Mexico City differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,309 vs $1,660 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 198% 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: $1,161 in St. Thomas versus $1,103 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 212% less than in St. Thomas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $414 in St. Thomas versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,309 in St. Thomas, a $3,000 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 39% less than in St. Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.