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: $3,468 in Staefa versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,299 in Staefa versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,130 in Staefa versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Staefa is roughly 137% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staefa 159% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.93 CHF 24.25

$13.30 MX$231

132.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 117

$53.8 MX$932

178.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.16 CHF 14.23

$9.42 MX$163

92.78%

Cappuccino

$6.29 CHF 4.93

$3.59 MX$62.3

75.21%

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

$5.98 CHF 4.69

$1.62 MX$28.13

269.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 CHF 4.21

$1.12 MX$19.49

379.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.69 CHF 6.03

$3.25 MX$56.3

136.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 CHF 5.54

$4.65 MX$80.6

51.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.68

$1.64 MX$28.37

31.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 CHF 2.24

$2.65 MX$46.00

7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 2.91

$1.96 MX$33.99

89.29%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.41

$2.54 MX$44.08

222.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.20 CHF 21.32

$9.97 MX$173

172.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.43 CHF 25.42

$8.39 MX$145

286.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.54 CHF 38.84

$11.83 MX$205

318.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.45

$2.86 MX$49.62

9.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 CHF 2.18

$1.73 MX$30.05

60.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.35

$1.99 MX$34.50

50.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 CHF 4.09

$2.05 MX$35.51

154.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.22

$2.06 MX$35.64

37.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.86

$2.28 MX$39.54

3.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CHF 2.00

$1.45 MX$25.05

75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 0.99

$1.09 MX$18.83

15.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.87 CHF 8.52

$4.27 MX$73.9

154.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 CHF 12.20

$14.67 MX$254

6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.12

$1.76 MX$30.58

53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.83

$3.57 MX$61.8

-34.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 CHF 3.14

$0.38 MX$6.67

955.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 CHF 78.0

$18.73 MX$325

431.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.60 CHF 5.17

$1.39 MX$24.09

374.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.13 CHF 3.24

$0.30 MX$5.26

1276.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.83 CHF 33.58

$5.41 MX$93.8

691.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$1.34 MX$23.22

66.42%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.3K

$18.9K MX$326.7K

118.46%

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

$38.8K CHF 30.4K

$23.2K MX$402.0K

67.19%

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

$255 CHF 200

$40.30 MX$698

533.23%

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

$36.01 CHF 28.23

$27.15 MX$471

32.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 CHF 41.40

$29.46 MX$510

79.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CHF 67.9

$52.7 MX$914

64.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$24.66 CHF 19.33

$6.18 MX$107

299.03%

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

$2,838 CHF 2,225

$441 MX$7,637

544.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 31.0K

$10.7K MX$185.4K

269.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 109

$57.2 MX$992

142.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.4 CHF 48.90

$45.04 MX$781

38.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 118

$103 MX$1,793

45.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$109 MX$1,884

82.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 CHF 1,355

$1,000 MX$17.3K

72.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,147

$632 MX$11.0K

131.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,779 CHF 2,179

$2,141 MX$37.1K

29.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,482 CHF 1,946

$1,253 MX$21.7K

98.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 9,688

$3,745 MX$64.9K

229.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.1K CHF 8,732

$2,381 MX$41.3K

367.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.34

-81.57%

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

Last update for Staefa: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Staefa and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $150 in Staefa vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 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

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

Staefa and Mexico City differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($3,468 vs $1,466 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,202 in Staefa and $2,199 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: $1,728 in Staefa 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 431% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,838 in Staefa versus $441 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,466 in Mexico City versus $3,468 in Staefa, a $2,000 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 137% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.