Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bellville Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bellville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $908 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,425 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,942 in Bellville.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Bellville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Bellville is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$11.13 R 184

17.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$22.08 R 364

143.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.06 R 83.5

91.30%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.74 R 28.75

114.94%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.16 R 19.20

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.86 R 14.22

34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.02 R 33.26

59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.49 R 41.13

90.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.04 R 17.17

58.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.81 R 13.35

239.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.51 R 24.97

23.84%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.41 R 39.71

3.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.23 R 69.8

141.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.51 R 74.4

82.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.12 R 118

66.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.09 R 17.95

176.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.43 R 23.67

26.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.05 R 17.28

90.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.10 R 18.13

81.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.08 R 17.90

92.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.18 R 19.41

92.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.76 R 12.62

92.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.96 R 15.79

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.55 R 42.02

70.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$5.99 R 98.9

183.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.98 R 16.20

76.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.70 R 28.06

110.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.67 R 27.51

-76.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$19.80 R 327

-5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.58 R 9.56

129.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.37 R 6.08

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.72 R 44.93

93.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.19 R 19.71

12.61%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$21.5K R 354.9K

-9.74%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$19.6K R 323.6K

21.56%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$56.7 R 936

-28.24%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$32.55 R 537

-17.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$27.79 R 459

9.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$31.46 R 519

67.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.62 R 109

-1.66%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$84.2 R 1,390

408.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,273 R 87.0K

99.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$25.67 R 424

123.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$11.10 R 183

309.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$83.3 R 1,375

24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$49.59 R 818

117.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$359 R 5,931

179.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$329 R 5,433

89.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$700 R 11.6K

201.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$692 R 11.4K

75.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$846 R 14.0K

359.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$673 R 11.1K

202.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.77

-3.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bellville: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $359 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $155 per month, with Bellville 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

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

Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,362 in Bellville 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $359 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bellville – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $908 in Bellville versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $908 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Bellville 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 Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.