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 $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $1,274 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $2,011 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $2,747 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 14% more than Cape Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Cape Town is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$10.87 R 179

20.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$44.99 R 743

19.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.17 R 85.3

87.23%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.99 R 32.77

87.94%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.15 R 18.92

40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.88 R 14.49

31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.87 R 47.43

12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.45 R 40.43

93.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.16 R 19.21

42.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.10 R 18.17

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.90 R 31.32

-1.58%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.47 R 40.79

1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.55 R 141

19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.04 R 83.2

63.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.48 R 124

58.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.52 R 25.01

98.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.42 R 23.42

27.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.46 R 24.10

36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.54 R 25.50

29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.12 R 18.51

85.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.24 R 20.47

83.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.09 R 17.94

33.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.96 R 15.79

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.02 R 49.78

44.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.02 R 99.4

182.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.39 R 22.97

24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.67 R 27.55

114.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.97 R 16.01

-59.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$47.18 R 779

-60.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.43 R 23.67

-6.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.93 R 15.41

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.46 R 73.7

17.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.19 R 19.65

12.61%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$21.2K R 350.2K

-8.53%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$23.9K R 394.4K

-0.27%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$99.4 R 1,641

-59.08%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$33.36 R 550

-19.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$40.88 R 675

-25.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$41.96 R 693

25.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$8.18 R 135

225.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.87 R 113

-5.24%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$210 R 3,467

103.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,351 R 88.3K

96.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$55.8 R 920

2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$33.54 R 554

35.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$113 R 1,867

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$85.6 R 1,413

25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$768 R 12.7K

30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$523 R 8,631

19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,455 R 24.0K

44.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,044 R 17.2K

16.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,329 R 38.4K

66.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,509 R 24.9K

34.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,600 R 26.4K

-35.14%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $768 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 54% 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: $292 vs $187 – 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 14% 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 $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $1,911 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 $1,456 in Mexico City and $1,274 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 152% 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 $1,274, than in Mexico City at $1,456. 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 $1,274 versus $1,456 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.