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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,119 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,624 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,128 in Benoni.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Benoni is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$8.54 R 141

53.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$33.15 R 547

62.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.68 R 77.3

106.84%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.02 R 33.39

85.15%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.06 R 17.43

52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.78 R 12.82

48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.30 R 37.92

40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.54 R 41.87

86.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.20 R 19.82

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.01 R 16.74

172.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.64 R 27.08

14.02%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.43 R 40.04

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.73 R 128

31.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.45 R 73.4

85.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.31 R 104

87.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.66 R 27.42

81.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.46 R 24.02

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.54 R 25.35

29.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.66 R 27.40

20.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.32 R 21.76

57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.18 R 19.45

92.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.04 R 17.17

40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.91 R 15.01

18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.05 R 50.3

42.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$5.02 R 82.8

238.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.34 R 22.16

29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.60 R 26.38

123.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.68 R 27.67

-76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.09 R 18.05

22.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.89 R 14.76

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$3.12 R 51.5

68.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.28 R 21.16

4.69%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.4K R 369.6K

-13.32%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$23.9K R 393.6K

-0.08%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$124 R 2,053

-67.29%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$40.51 R 669

-33.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$42.13 R 695

-27.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$16.71 R 276

215.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.36 R 121

-11.55%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$204 R 3,363

110.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,271 R 70.5K

145.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$50.8 R 839

12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$33.92 R 560

34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$90.3 R 1,491

15.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$78.4 R 1,293

37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$369 R 6,094

171.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$436 R 7,189

42.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$457 R 7,535

361.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$714 R 11.8K

70.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$2,007 R 33.1K

-48.29%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Benoni: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $369 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 93% 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 $33.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 ($1,456 vs $1,119 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 93% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $369 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,119 in Benoni – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,119 in Benoni versus $1,456 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.