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: $2,320 in St. Thomas versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,337 in St. Thomas versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,355 in St. Thomas versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Thomas 73% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 CA$27.80

$12.98 MX$227

56.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 CA$103

$53.1 MX$929

41.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 CA$15.78

$9.72 MX$170

18.52%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.77

$3.75 MX$65.6

-7.20%

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

$1.82 CA$2.50

$1.57 MX$27.46

15.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.38

$1.13 MX$19.76

53.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 CA$7.15

$3.18 MX$55.7

64.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 CA$7.98

$4.66 MX$81.6

25.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 CA$2.76

$1.62 MX$28.37

24.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.66

$2.71 MX$47.36

-1.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.48

$1.88 MX$32.89

73.94%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.22

$2.51 MX$43.90

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 CA$13.01

$10.08 MX$176

-5.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.59

$8.29 MX$145

37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.56 CA$21.32

$11.94 MX$209

30.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.49

$2.86 MX$50.1

40.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.69

$1.75 MX$30.62

-29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.56

$2.08 MX$36.48

60.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.12

$1.97 MX$34.46

89.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.09

$2.16 MX$37.79

38.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.45

$2.18 MX$38.16

15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.16

$1.39 MX$24.34

65.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$1.12 MX$19.69

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 CA$14.87

$4.20 MX$73.5

158.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 CA$17.96

$14.25 MX$249

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.84

$1.76 MX$30.85

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$3.68 MX$64.5

-32.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.28

$0.39 MX$6.74

515.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$87.0

$18.66 MX$327

240.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 CA$3.14

$1.39 MX$24.26

64.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.39

$0.30 MX$5.32

483.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.76 CA$42.15

$5.42 MX$94.9

467.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$1.35 MX$23.63

-18.52%

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

$25.3K CA$34.6K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

33.77%

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

$20.2K CA$27.6K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-12.95%

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

$135 CA$184

$40.82 MX$714

229.76%

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

$54.1 CA$74.2

$27.50 MX$481

96.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CA$77.9

$30.38 MX$532

87.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 CA$57.3

$53.4 MX$935

-21.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 CA$15.31

$6.27 MX$110

78.31%

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

$559 CA$766

$436 MX$7,632

28.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CA$15.0K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

4.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 CA$75.2

$56.8 MX$993

-3.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 CA$52.2

$44.79 MX$784

-14.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$116

$103 MX$1,799

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CA$111

$108 MX$1,888

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 CA$1,621

$1,000 MX$17.5K

18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 CA$1,586

$620 MX$10.9K

86.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 CA$2,784

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-4.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 CA$2,529

$1,235 MX$21.6K

49.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,827 CA$6,612

$3,865 MX$67.6K

24.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,741 CA$5,124

$2,332 MX$40.8K

60.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 CA$4,136

$1,067 MX$18.7K

182.87%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,183 in St. Thomas and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Thomas pays 183% 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: $75.0 in St. Thomas vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $286 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 ($2,320 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

St. Thomas pays 183% 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: $1,183 in St. Thomas versus $1,000 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 240% 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 $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,320 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.