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 $1,677 per month in Mexico City vs $1,643 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,608 per month in Mexico City vs $2,522 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,540 per month in Mexico City vs $3,400 in Cape Town, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 2% more than Cape Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Mexico City and Cape Town sit above the global median – Mexico City by 22%, Cape Town by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$12.65 R 204

-4.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$49.67 R 800

8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.79 R 93.2

91.54%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.57 R 41.44

59.53%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.41 R 22.77

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.01 R 16.19

37.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.11 R 50.2

7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.67 R 59.0

60.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.39 R 22.39

33.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.28 R 20.67

147.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.17 R 34.90

-4.61%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.19 R 51.3

-8.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$8.80 R 142

43.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$7.30 R 117

38.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.59 R 154

67.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.96 R 31.57

72.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.01 R 32.39

3.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.79 R 28.81

18.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.18 R 35.06

10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.56 R 25.08

36.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.54 R 24.72

30.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.35 R 21.75

14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.19 R 19.15

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.76 R 60.6

53.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$6.23 R 100

184.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.43 R 23.06

44.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.25 R 36.20

104.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.52 R 24.42

-75.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$62.1 R 1,000

-65.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.60 R 9.68

241.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.59 R 25.56

-63.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.20 R 83.8

16.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.58 R 25.38

-1.90%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$37.5K R 604.2K

-39.03%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$33.3K R 536.3K

-18.22%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$122 R 1,967

-44.80%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$31.30 R 504

-2.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$39.49 R 636

-5.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$50.6 R 815

21.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$11.87 R 191

128.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$9.10 R 147

-21.87%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$275 R 4,434

65.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,638 R 106.9K

106.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$59.0 R 950

25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$34.23 R 551

66.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$125 R 2,009

-7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$109 R 1,760

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$1,063 R 17.1K

8.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$740 R 11.9K

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,866 R 30.0K

38.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,367 R 22.0K

-5.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,415 R 38.9K

65.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,564 R 25.2K

36.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,637 R 26.4K

-33.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.02

2.54%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,148 in Mexico City versus $1,063 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 $50.0 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $231 – 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 2% 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 $2,515 per month in Mexico City and $2,464 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 $1,677 in Mexico City and $1,643 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 193% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,643, than in Mexico City at $1,677. 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 $1,643 versus $1,677 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.