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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,107 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,366 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,624 in Benoni.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 51% more expensive than in Benoni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Benoni is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$10.51 R 169

15.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$39.04 R 629

38.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.91 R 95.2

87.65%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.40 R 38.72

70.83%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.22 R 19.58

37.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.87 R 14.01

59.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.25 R 36.19

48.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.88 R 46.39

104.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.20 R 19.35

54.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.12 R 18.03

183.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.78 R 28.72

16.29%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.61 R 42.07

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$8.60 R 139

46.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.12 R 82.4

97.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.48 R 120

115.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.93 R 31.11

75.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.73 R 27.89

20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.85 R 29.86

14.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.68 R 27.05

43.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.16 R 18.62

83.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.23 R 19.87

63.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.22 R 19.68

27.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.36 R 21.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.47 R 55.9

66.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$5.16 R 83.1

243.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.57 R 25.30

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.05 R 33.05

124.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.30 R 4.77

583.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.93 R 14.97

-37.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$14.83 R 239

-59.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.49 R 24.00

4.03%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$37.0K R 595.6K

-38.15%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$33.6K R 540.4K

-18.84%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$206 R 3,323

-67.33%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$38.13 R 614

-19.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$38.27 R 616

-2.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$18.41 R 296

233.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.67 R 123

-7.30%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$252 R 4,053

81.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$5,665 R 91.2K

141.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$54.6 R 879

35.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$32.64 R 526

74.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$97.2 R 1,566

18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$85.2 R 1,372

42.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$405 R 6,515

183.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$311 R 5,012

127.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$503 R 8,094

412.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,067 R 33.3K

-47.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.91

3.57%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Benoni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $405 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $200 per month, with Benoni 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 Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Benoni differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,107 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Benoni. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $405 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,107 in Benoni – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,107 in Benoni versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Benoni 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 Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.