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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,125 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,479 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,832 in Benoni.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than Benoni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Benoni is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.61 R 141

53.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$33.95 R 555

58.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.89 R 79.9

92.64%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.05 R 33.43

73.17%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.01 R 16.59

60.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.80 R 13.03

38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.29 R 37.36

36.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.55 R 41.64

81.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.14 R 18.57

49.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.01 R 16.56

169.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.72 R 28.05

11.05%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.38 R 38.83

6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.65 R 125

31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.68 R 76.4

72.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.41 R 105

81.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.67 R 27.35

77.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.48 R 24.25

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.49 R 24.36

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.58 R 25.87

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.32 R 21.66

60.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.16 R 19.00

95.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.09 R 17.74

28.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.90 R 14.69

25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.00 R 49.10

42.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.10 R 83.3

205.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.36 R 22.29

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.66 R 27.08

116.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.63 R 26.72

-76.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.10 R 17.92

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.89 R 14.60

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$3.14 R 51.3

73.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.29 R 21.04

0.78%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$22.7K R 370.8K

-17.62%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$23.6K R 386.1K

-2.07%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$124 R 2,035

-67.18%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$40.70 R 665

-34.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$43.34 R 708

-30.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$16.54 R 270

214.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.12 R 116

-11.52%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$205 R 3,359

112.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$4,399 R 71.9K

136.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$51.1 R 836

10.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$33.12 R 541

34.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$91.2 R 1,491

12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$78.8 R 1,287

33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$359 R 5,875

184.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$432 R 7,067

45.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$441 R 7,215

383.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$2,371 R 38.8K

-47.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,057 R 33.6K

-45.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.51

-1.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Benoni: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $359 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 84% 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 $34.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $176 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,125 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Benoni earns 84% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $359 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,125 in Benoni – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,125 in Benoni versus $1,467 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 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.