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: $3,444 in Staefa versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,370 in Staefa versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Staefa versus $3,222 in Mexico City.

Living in Staefa is roughly 133% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staefa 158% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.05 CHF 25.39

$13.16 MX$230

135.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 121

$53.6 MX$937

175.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.71 CHF 15.30

$9.55 MX$167

95.92%

Cappuccino

$6.44 CHF 5.26

$3.72 MX$65.1

73.12%

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

$5.66 CHF 4.63

$1.57 MX$27.42

260.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 CHF 4.40

$1.16 MX$20.22

363.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 CHF 6.20

$3.18 MX$55.7

138.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 CHF 5.66

$4.63 MX$81.1

49.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$1.71 MX$29.83

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CHF 2.26

$2.62 MX$45.77

5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 CHF 2.87

$1.89 MX$33.04

85.19%

Eggs

$8.14 CHF 6.66

$2.60 MX$45.40

213.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.56 CHF 22.53

$9.91 MX$173

178.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.68 CHF 26.72

$8.22 MX$144

297.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.1 CHF 40.97

$11.78 MX$206

325.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$3.00 MX$52.4

5.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.30

$1.80 MX$31.48

56.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.45

$2.07 MX$36.27

44.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 CHF 4.23

$1.97 MX$34.41

162.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.30

$2.07 MX$36.24

36.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.91

$2.17 MX$38.04

7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CHF 2.07

$1.40 MX$24.54

80.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CHF 1.04

$1.07 MX$18.80

18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CHF 9.23

$4.12 MX$72.0

174.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 CHF 11.01

$17.42 MX$305

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 CHF 2.18

$1.68 MX$29.31

58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CHF 1.89

$3.65 MX$63.8

-36.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$0.38 MX$6.65

907.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 CHF 81.0

$18.71 MX$327

429.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 CHF 5.46

$1.33 MX$23.25

402.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.17 CHF 3.41

$0.30 MX$5.30

1290.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 CHF 34.91

$5.51 MX$96.4

674.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.82

$1.31 MX$22.84

69.47%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.7K

$19.2K MX$335.3K

108.95%

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

$40.1K CHF 32.8K

$23.7K MX$415.4K

68.93%

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

$260 CHF 213

$41.14 MX$720

532.01%

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

$35.12 CHF 28.72

$27.74 MX$485

26.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 CHF 44.09

$30.13 MX$527

78.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.6 CHF 73.3

$53.7 MX$940

66.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$24.96 CHF 20.41

$6.49 MX$114

284.59%

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

$2,865 CHF 2,343

$437 MX$7,638

556.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.5K CHF 32.3K

$10.5K MX$182.9K

278.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 114

$58.3 MX$1,020

139.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CHF 49.95

$45.86 MX$802

33.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 CHF 119

$101 MX$1,775

43.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 162

$107 MX$1,863

85.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 CHF 1,398

$1,005 MX$17.6K

70.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 CHF 1,199

$634 MX$11.1K

131.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 CHF 2,287

$2,148 MX$37.6K

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,423 CHF 1,981

$1,247 MX$21.8K

94.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K CHF 13.2K

$3,859 MX$67.5K

317.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K CHF 8,798

$2,085 MX$36.5K

416.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Staefa and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Staefa vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $647 vs $291 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 133% in total monthly costs ($3,444 vs $1,481 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,166 in Staefa and $2,222 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: $1,710 in Staefa versus $1,005 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 429% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,865 in Staefa versus $437 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,481 in Mexico City versus $3,444 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 133% less than in Staefa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.