Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $1,467 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $2,371 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $3,274 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cape Town is about 13% cheaper than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cape Town sits 5% below the global median, while Mexico City is 10% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$13.18 MX$228

-16.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 734

$53.9 MX$931

-16.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.1

$9.42 MX$163

-47.88%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.62

$3.55 MX$61.3

-43.66%

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

$1.10 R 18.02

$1.62 MX$27.95

-32.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.48

$1.11 MX$19.25

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.76

$3.12 MX$53.9

-8.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.52

$4.63 MX$80.0

-46.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.69

$1.70 MX$29.40

-32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.66

$2.72 MX$46.97

-60.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.51

$1.91 MX$33.04

-2.09%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.28

$2.54 MX$43.82

-2.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 140

$10.03 MX$173

-14.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.8

$8.09 MX$140

-36.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 125

$11.62 MX$201

-34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.34

$2.97 MX$51.3

-49.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.36

$1.81 MX$31.21

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.38

$2.01 MX$34.79

-25.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.95

$2.03 MX$35.16

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.61

$2.12 MX$36.71

-49.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.24

$2.27 MX$39.21

-45.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.90

$1.40 MX$24.20

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.64

$1.13 MX$19.53

-15.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.54

$4.27 MX$73.8

-28.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 101

$15.56 MX$269

-60.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.06

$1.76 MX$30.36

-19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.34

$3.60 MX$62.1

-53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.24

$0.38 MX$6.62

144.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 782

$19.18 MX$331

149.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.52

$1.38 MX$23.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.20

$0.28 MX$4.78

232.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 71.2

$5.45 MX$94.1

-20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.42

$1.30 MX$22.53

-3.85%

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

$21.3K R 348.3K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

14.22%

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

$24.5K R 399.1K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

5.74%

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

$98.3 R 1,604

$40.86 MX$706

140.58%

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

$33.19 R 542

$26.81 MX$463

23.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 665

$29.96 MX$518

36.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 680

$52.0 MX$899

-19.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

$26.84 MX$464

-69.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$6.30 MX$109

3.97%

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

$211 R 3,450

$436 MX$7,536

-51.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.5K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

-49.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 910

$56.7 MX$979

-1.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 535

$44.38 MX$767

-26.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,877

$103 MX$1,779

11.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,379

$106 MX$1,823

-19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.5K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,488

$631 MX$10.9K

-17.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.3K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-33.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-18.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.2K

$3,903 MX$67.4K

-39.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.6K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-27.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.5K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

50.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.34

3.79%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $288 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cape Town vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 15% more than Cape Town, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $2,201 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,273 in Cape Town and $1,467 in Mexico City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 150% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Mexico City at $1,467. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,273 versus $1,467 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.