Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Benguela

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $59.1 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$59.1

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $59 in Benguela.

Mexico City $1,608
Benguela $59

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $85 in Benguela.

Mexico City $2,549
Benguela $85

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $111 in Benguela.

Mexico City $3,490
Benguela $111

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2619% more expensive than in Benguela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Benguela is 96% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$2.80 AOA 2,560

279.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$11.10 AOA 10.1K

-6.76%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.85 AOA 774

96.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

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

$27.39 MX$515

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,111

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$3,735 AOA 3.4M

-74.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-54.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Benguela: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Benguela

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Benguela

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Benguela

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Benguela

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Benguela

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Benguela

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Benguela

–

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays about 3.9 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇦🇴 Benguela

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

513,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,019 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.82 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Benguela 12,810 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Benguela

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

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

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

At $59 in Benguela versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.