Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Johannesburg: $1,430 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,430

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Johannesburg and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Johannesburg and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,430 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,430
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,195
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $2,960 per month in Johannesburg vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,960
Mexico City $3,333

Johannesburg is about 9% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Johannesburg and Mexico City sit above the global median – Johannesburg by 6%, Mexico City by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 R 197

$10.75 MX$199

11.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 R 709

$50.3 MX$929

-14.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 R 117

$11.10 MX$205

-35.86%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R 39.72

$3.68 MX$68.1

-34.51%

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

$1.17 R 19.21

$1.65 MX$30.42

-29.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.30

$1.30 MX$24.08

-28.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 37.03

$3.32 MX$61.3

-32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.49

$5.54 MX$102

-50.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.59

$1.77 MX$32.68

-25.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 21.12

$3.05 MX$56.4

-58.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.37

$2.01 MX$37.20

-14.43%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.34

$2.77 MX$51.1

-5.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 R 140

$11.91 MX$220

-28.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 90.0

$9.33 MX$172

-41.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R 145

$15.02 MX$278

-41.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.89

$3.08 MX$56.8

-31.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.45

$1.95 MX$35.97

-8.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.47

$2.03 MX$37.54

-8.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.99

$2.21 MX$40.92

-4.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.61

$2.02 MX$37.41

-13.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.09

$1.82 MX$33.67

0.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 R 23.53

$1.52 MX$28.07

-5.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.99

$1.28 MX$23.65

3.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 R 54.3

$5.27 MX$97.4

-37.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 R 97.3

$16.12 MX$298

-63.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.89

$1.95 MX$36.05

-7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 40.95

$4.25 MX$78.6

-41.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 R 33.11

$0.31 MX$5.82

548.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 R 1,481

$19.85 MX$367

352.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 R 13.62

$2.00 MX$36.93

-58.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.70

$0.53 MX$9.86

67.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.42 R 238

$5.62 MX$104

156.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.51

$1.52 MX$28.07

-1.97%

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

$35.2K R 579.4K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

67.20%

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

$32.5K R 534.9K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

28.94%

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

$233 R 3,841

$62.5 MX$1,155

273.05%

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

$37.52 R 618

$28.77 MX$532

30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 R 598

$34.45 MX$637

5.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 R 600

$57.1 MX$1,055

-36.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 R 284

$24.81 MX$458

-30.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R 126

$6.67 MX$123

14.84%

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

$246 R 4,048

$431 MX$7,964

-42.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,533 R 91.2K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-52.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 963

$70.8 MX$1,308

-17.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 R 745

$51.8 MX$958

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,817

$109 MX$2,011

1.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 R 1,734

$112 MX$2,076

-6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 R 8,127

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-53.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 R 7,160

$665 MX$12.3K

-34.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 R 16.2K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-57.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 R 14.8K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-26.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$967 R 15.9K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-72.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$746 R 12.3K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-62.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 R 28.6K

$975 MX$18.0K

78.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.3

-3.45%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$435 30.4%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 53% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$307 21.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 59.1% $181

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.3%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 47.8% $104

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$171 12%

Mexico City

$203 13% 18.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$144 10.1%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 7.7% $11

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.2%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 75% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.6%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 36.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $493 in Johannesburg versus $1,051 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 78% higher in Johannesburg, 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 $43.00 in Johannesburg versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $323 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

09:23 9:23 AM

8 h behind Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

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Between locations

Johannesburg Mexico City 14,590 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Johannesburg
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Johannesburg vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 10% more than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,145 per month in Johannesburg and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Johannesburg and $50.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,430 in Johannesburg and $1,567 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Johannesburg, where all-in costs run around $1,430, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Johannesburg 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. Johannesburg costs $1,430 versus $1,567 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 Johannesburg. 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.