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: $4,287 in St Thomas versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,186 in St Thomas versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $10.1K in St Thomas versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in St Thomas is roughly 191% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St Thomas 222% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 $20.20

$13.14 MX$228

53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$157 $157

$53.5 MX$927

194.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$9.33 MX$162

27.12%

Cappuccino

$7.15 $7.15

$3.70 MX$64.1

93.24%

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

$4.08 $4.08

$1.60 MX$27.80

155.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.12 MX$19.37

199.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.14 MX$54.4

111.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.85 MX$84.0

102.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.65 MX$28.65

55.76%

White Bread (500g)

$6.62 $6.62

$2.71 MX$47.02

144.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$18.57 $18.57

$1.91 MX$33.07

872.25%

Eggs

$8.78 $8.78

$2.59 MX$44.87

239.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$9.81 MX$170

14.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$31.79 $31.79

$8.43 MX$146

277.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.15 $40.15

$11.93 MX$207

236.55%

Apples (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$2.95 MX$51.2

317.29%

Banana (1kg)

$10.90 $10.90

$1.74 MX$30.15

526.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$12.17 $12.17

$2.04 MX$35.43

496.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$20.09 $20.09

$2.06 MX$35.69

875.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.15 MX$37.25

-9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$2.26 MX$39.08

279.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.39 MX$24.01

471.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$6.02 $6.02

$1.12 MX$19.34

437.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

Wine (Bottle)

$25.27 $25.27

$17.51 MX$303

44.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.63 MX$62.9

68.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.35 MX$6.11

462.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 $59.6

$19.32 MX$335

208.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.34 $20.34

$1.38 MX$23.84

1373.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.28 MX$4.78

1000.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.36 MX$23.53

-0.74%

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

$55.0K $55.0K

$19.1K MX$331.0K

187.71%

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

$37.9K $37.9K

$23.6K MX$409.0K

60.52%

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

$384 $384

$40.53 MX$702

846.80%

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

$100 $100

$27.38 MX$474

265.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$130 $130

$30.38 MX$526

328.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$52.2 MX$905

142.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 $12.02

$6.19 MX$107

94.18%

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

$1,501 $1,501

$425 MX$7,365

253.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K $21.7K

$10.7K MX$186.0K

102.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 $117

$58.3 MX$1,010

100.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$147 $147

$44.57 MX$772

229.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$203 $203

$103 MX$1,793

96.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$109 MX$1,884

40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 $1,469

$1,014 MX$17.6K

44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 $1,788

$623 MX$10.8K

187.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,214 $3,214

$2,119 MX$36.7K

51.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,259 $4,259

$1,223 MX$21.2K

248.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,873 $4,873

$3,792 MX$65.7K

28.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$2,110 MX$36.6K

403.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,736 $2,736

$1,052 MX$18.2K

160.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.34

-16.67%

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

Last update for St Thomas: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in St Thomas and $1,014 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: $157 in St Thomas vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $980 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 191% in total monthly costs ($4,287 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 160% 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: $1,469 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 208% less than in St Thomas. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,501 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 $4,287 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 191% less than in St Thomas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.