Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Puerto Escondido Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Puerto Escondido

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $1,119 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $1,772 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $2,424 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 14% more than Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cape Town and Puerto Escondido are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Puerto Escondido 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$9.27 MX$161

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 736

$39.44 MX$683

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.3

$7.76 MX$134

-36.73%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.68

$3.31 MX$57.4

-39.58%

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

$1.10 R 18.05

$1.29 MX$22.29

-14.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.51

$0.97 MX$16.85

-14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.84

$2.59 MX$44.87

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.59

$3.99 MX$69.1

-37.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.72

$1.46 MX$25.30

-21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.69

$2.68 MX$46.41

-59.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.56

$1.08 MX$18.78

73.15%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.35

$1.92 MX$33.35

28.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 140

$8.11 MX$140

5.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 84.0

$7.92 MX$137

-35.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 125

$11.77 MX$204

-34.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.38

$2.69 MX$46.67

-44.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.41

$1.05 MX$18.11

41.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.42

$1.78 MX$30.91

-16.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.00

$1.70 MX$29.45

-6.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.64

$2.15 MX$37.32

-49.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.28

$2.60 MX$45.03

-52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.93

$1.16 MX$20.15

-5.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.66

$0.99 MX$17.14

-3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.62

$5.03 MX$87.2

-39.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 101

$10.80 MX$187

-42.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.10

$2.23 MX$38.64

-36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.39

$2.85 MX$49.44

-41.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.26

$0.69 MX$12.03

34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 783

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.56

$2.54 MX$44.01

-45.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.23

$1.55 MX$26.78

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 71.4

$8.26 MX$143

-47.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.45

$1.32 MX$22.85

-5.30%

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

$21.3K R 348.9K

$21.3K MX$369.7K

0.06%

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

$24.5K R 399.8K

$22.4K MX$388.6K

9.06%

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

$98.3 R 1,607

$56.0 MX$971

75.47%

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

$33.19 R 543

$22.46 MX$389

47.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 666

$55.5 MX$961

-26.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 681

$21.09 MX$365

97.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

$10.77 MX$187

-24.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$4.58 MX$79.3

43.01%

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

$211 R 3,456

$160 MX$2,780

31.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.6K

$3,654 MX$63.3K

45.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 911

$52.1 MX$902

7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 536

$40.38 MX$700

-18.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,880

$91.3 MX$1,583

25.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,382

$79.6 MX$1,379

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.5K

$395 MX$6,854

93.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,503

$390 MX$6,754

33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.4K

$920 MX$15.9K

55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.6K

$754 MX$13.1K

34.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.3K

$2,100 MX$36.4K

11.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.6K

$1,165 MX$20.2K

29.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.5K

$340 MX$5,886

395.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

11.5

2.35%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $395 in Puerto Escondido. 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 396% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $39.00 in Puerto Escondido. Groceries tell a different story – $189 in Cape Town vs $255 in Puerto Escondido – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 14% more than Puerto Escondido, 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 $1,679 in Puerto Escondido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Escondido, 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 $1,119 in Puerto Escondido. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $211 per month in Cape Town and $160 in Puerto Escondido. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Escondido, where all-in costs run around $1,119, than in Cape Town at $1,273. In Puerto Escondido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Puerto Escondido costs $1,119 versus $1,273 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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