Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,459 in Staefa versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,306 in Staefa versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,154 in Staefa versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Staefa is roughly 106% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staefa 151% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.55 CHF 24.93

$12.14 MX$206

151.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 CHF 102

$53.9 MX$914

132.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.86 CHF 13.76

$11.09 MX$188

52.03%

Cappuccino

$6.51 CHF 5.32

$4.10 MX$69.5

58.78%

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

$5.77 CHF 4.71

$1.68 MX$28.53

243.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.26 CHF 4.29

$1.39 MX$23.55

278.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.53 CHF 6.96

$3.33 MX$56.5

156.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.58 CHF 7.00

$5.88 MX$99.7

45.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$1.85 MX$31.41

21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CHF 2.86

$3.17 MX$53.8

10.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.12

$2.07 MX$35.13

84.54%

Eggs

$8.44 CHF 6.89

$2.93 MX$49.67

188.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.86 CHF 21.92

$12.59 MX$214

113.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.23 CHF 21.40

$10.11 MX$172

159.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$56.4 CHF 46.03

$16.09 MX$273

250.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CHF 2.89

$3.39 MX$57.5

4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$2.08 MX$35.26

37.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.87

$2.12 MX$35.97

66.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 CHF 3.92

$2.41 MX$40.95

99.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.19

$2.13 MX$36.11

25.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CHF 1.80

$2.01 MX$34.02

9.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CHF 2.14

$1.55 MX$26.21

69.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CHF 1.09

$1.36 MX$23.15

-1.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.21 CHF 9.15

$5.77 MX$97.8

94.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 CHF 11.19

$17.74 MX$301

-22.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CHF 2.27

$2.07 MX$35.11

34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 CHF 2.40

$4.61 MX$78.3

-36.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.41 CHF 3.60

$0.37 MX$6.21

1091.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 CHF 83.0

$21.18 MX$359

380.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 CHF 6.52

$2.05 MX$34.84

289.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$0.58 MX$9.79

713.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.7 CHF 71.6

$6.07 MX$103

1344.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 CHF 1.96

$1.55 MX$26.34

55.48%

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

$40.2K CHF 32.8K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

75.85%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.1K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

49.13%

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

$240 CHF 196

$67.4 MX$1,144

255.47%

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

$33.33 CHF 27.20

$30.62 MX$520

8.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 CHF 46.60

$37.24 MX$632

53.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 CHF 84.6

$61.5 MX$1,043

68.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.60 CHF 38.03

$27.12 MX$460

71.83%

Cinema Ticket

$22.05 CHF 18.00

$7.11 MX$121

210.13%

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

$2,953 CHF 2,410

$456 MX$7,739

547.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.6K CHF 35.6K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

218.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 116

$74.2 MX$1,259

90.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 CHF 48.33

$57.0 MX$967

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 122

$115 MX$1,958

29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 CHF 142

$122 MX$2,061

43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CHF 1,213

$1,148 MX$19.5K

29.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 CHF 1,246

$709 MX$12.0K

115.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,762 CHF 2,254

$2,577 MX$43.7K

7.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 CHF 1,812

$1,295 MX$22.0K

71.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.8K CHF 12.1K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

269.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.7K CHF 10.4K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

497.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

11.3

-84.78%

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

Last update for Staefa: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,486 in Staefa and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $125 in Staefa vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $647 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

Staefa vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Staefa and Mexico City differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($3,459 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,188 in Staefa and $2,515 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,486 in Staefa versus $1,148 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 380% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,953 in Staefa versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $3,459 in Staefa, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Staefa. 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.

Safety-wise, Staefa and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.