Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $1,273 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $1,983 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $2,693 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 15% more than Cape Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Cape Town is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$11.02 R 180

19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$44.99 R 734

19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.91 R 80.1

91.85%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$2.00 R 32.62

77.50%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$1.10 R 18.02

47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.83 R 13.48

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$2.87 R 46.76

8.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$2.48 R 40.52

86.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.15 R 18.69

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.08 R 17.66

151.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.87 R 30.51

2.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.47 R 40.28

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$8.57 R 140

17.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.14 R 83.8

57.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.66 R 125

51.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.49 R 24.34

99.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.49 R 24.36

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.49 R 24.38

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$1.59 R 25.95

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.08 R 17.61

96.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.24 R 20.24

83.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.10 R 17.90

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.96 R 15.64

17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$3.04 R 49.54

40.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.18 R 101

151.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.41 R 23.06

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$1.68 R 27.34

114.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.93 R 15.24

-59.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$47.91 R 782

-59.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.38 R 22.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.93 R 15.20

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$4.36 R 71.2

25.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.25 R 20.42

4.00%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$21.3K R 348.3K

-12.45%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$24.5K R 399.1K

-5.43%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$98.3 R 1,604

-58.43%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$33.19 R 542

-19.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$40.75 R 665

-26.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$41.68 R 680

24.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$8.15 R 133

229.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.55 R 107

-3.82%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$211 R 3,450

106.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$5,300 R 86.5K

96.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$55.7 R 910

1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$32.78 R 535

35.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$115 R 1,877

-10.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$84.5 R 1,379

24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$765 R 12.5K

33.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$520 R 8,488

21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,430 R 23.3K

49.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,014 R 16.5K

22.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,344 R 38.2K

66.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,506 R 24.6K

37.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,683 R 27.5K

-33.75%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $765 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $189 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 15% more than Cape Town, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $1,909 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,467 in Mexico City and $1,273 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 150% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Mexico City at $1,467. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,273 versus $1,467 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.