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 $1,274 per month in Cape Town vs $1,456 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $2,361 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Cape Town vs $3,266 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 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 R 179

$13.07 MX$228

-16.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 743

$53.8 MX$936

-16.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 R 85.3

$9.68 MX$169

-46.59%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 32.77

$3.74 MX$65.1

-46.79%

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

$1.15 R 18.92

$1.62 MX$28.13

-29.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.49

$1.16 MX$20.23

-24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 47.43

$3.23 MX$56.2

-11.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.43

$4.74 MX$82.5

-48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.21

$1.65 MX$28.68

-29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.17

$2.75 MX$47.95

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.32

$1.87 MX$32.63

1.60%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.79

$2.50 MX$43.54

-1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 R 141

$10.20 MX$178

-16.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 R 83.2

$8.25 MX$144

-38.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 124

$11.82 MX$206

-36.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.01

$3.01 MX$52.4

-49.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.42

$1.81 MX$31.54

-21.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.10

$2.00 MX$34.81

-27.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.50

$2.00 MX$34.74

-23.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.51

$2.08 MX$36.30

-46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.47

$2.27 MX$39.56

-45.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.94

$1.46 MX$25.36

-25.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.79

$1.08 MX$18.74

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R 49.78

$4.35 MX$75.7

-30.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 R 99.4

$16.99 MX$296

-64.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$1.73 MX$30.18

-19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.55

$3.58 MX$62.3

-53.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.39 MX$6.74

148.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R 779

$18.69 MX$325

152.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.67

$1.33 MX$23.08

7.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.41

$0.28 MX$4.87

232.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 R 73.7

$5.25 MX$91.5

-15.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.65

$1.34 MX$23.27

-11.19%

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

$21.2K R 350.2K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

9.33%

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

$23.9K R 394.4K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

0.27%

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

$99.4 R 1,641

$40.69 MX$709

144.38%

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

$33.36 R 550

$26.87 MX$468

24.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 R 675

$30.51 MX$531

33.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 R 693

$52.8 MX$919

-20.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.18 R 135

$26.65 MX$464

-69.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 113

$6.51 MX$113

5.53%

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

$210 R 3,467

$428 MX$7,454

-50.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,351 R 88.3K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-49.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 920

$57.3 MX$997

-2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 R 554

$45.50 MX$792

-26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,867

$104 MX$1,812

8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R 1,413

$108 MX$1,878

-20.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R 12.7K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,631

$623 MX$10.8K

-16.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 R 24.0K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-31.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 R 17.2K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 R 38.4K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-40.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 R 24.9K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-25.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 R 26.4K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

54.17%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Cape Town versus $1,003 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 54% 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: $187 vs $292 – 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 14% 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 $1,911 per month in Cape Town and $2,185 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 $1,274 in Cape Town and $1,456 in Mexico City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 152% 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 $1,274, than in Mexico City at $1,456. 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 $1,274 versus $1,456 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.