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: $3,423 in Staefa versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,287 in Staefa versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,152 in Staefa versus $3,174 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 155% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 24.30

$12.98 MX$227

134.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$148 CHF 118

$52.6 MX$918

181.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 14.66

$9.43 MX$165

94.38%

Cappuccino

$6.32 CHF 5.05

$3.57 MX$62.3

77.03%

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

$5.75 CHF 4.60

$1.61 MX$28.02

257.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 CHF 4.21

$1.15 MX$20.14

358.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 CHF 6.14

$3.15 MX$55.0

143.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 CHF 5.76

$4.86 MX$84.8

48.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.80

$1.70 MX$29.66

32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CHF 2.20

$2.64 MX$45.99

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 CHF 2.91

$1.90 MX$33.22

91.05%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.28

$2.54 MX$44.35

209.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.86 CHF 22.27

$10.08 MX$176

176.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.36 CHF 25.86

$8.29 MX$145

290.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.7 CHF 40.50

$11.57 MX$202

337.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.53

$3.03 MX$52.8

4.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 CHF 2.23

$1.71 MX$29.85

62.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.43

$2.05 MX$35.76

48.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 CHF 4.20

$2.06 MX$35.95

155.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.26

$2.06 MX$36.03

37.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.90

$2.17 MX$37.87

9.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CHF 2.00

$1.40 MX$24.49

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 0.96

$1.12 MX$19.58

8.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 CHF 8.95

$4.29 MX$74.9

160.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 CHF 11.89

$15.41 MX$269

-3.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 CHF 2.20

$1.67 MX$29.23

65.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.91

$3.69 MX$64.3

-35.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 CHF 3.17

$0.38 MX$6.66

942.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.1 CHF 78.4

$19.06 MX$333

414.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 CHF 5.52

$1.38 MX$24.10

400.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.16 CHF 3.32

$0.28 MX$4.82

1385.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.78 CHF 34.99

$5.42 MX$94.5

707.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.79

$1.28 MX$22.35

75.00%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.9K

$19.0K MX$331.3K

117.13%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.8K

$23.5K MX$409.5K

69.75%

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

$260 CHF 208

$41.02 MX$716

533.54%

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

$36.00 CHF 28.77

$26.92 MX$470

33.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 CHF 41.86

$29.69 MX$518

76.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.2 CHF 70.5

$52.3 MX$913

68.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$24.37 CHF 19.48

$6.18 MX$108

294.34%

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

$2,875 CHF 2,298

$427 MX$7,454

573.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.6K CHF 31.6K

$10.7K MX$186.7K

269.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 111

$56.8 MX$992

144.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 CHF 49.23

$44.83 MX$782

37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 119

$105 MX$1,824

42.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 159

$106 MX$1,849

87.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CHF 1,332

$995 MX$17.4K

67.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 CHF 1,188

$621 MX$10.8K

139.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 CHF 2,281

$2,126 MX$37.1K

34.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 CHF 1,975

$1,254 MX$21.9K

97.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

$3,903 MX$68.1K

280.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.7K CHF 10.2K

$2,096 MX$36.6K

508.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,667 in Staefa and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $148 in Staefa vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $650 vs $288 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 ($3,423 vs $1,447 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,134 in Staefa and $2,171 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: $1,667 in Staefa versus $995 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 415% less than in Staefa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,875 in Staefa versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $3,423 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.