Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gaborone Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Gaborone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $836 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,311 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,786 in Gaborone.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than Gaborone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Gaborone is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.33 P 96.2

79.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$29.91 P 392

80.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.92 P 77.7

59.12%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.25 P 29.45

57.78%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.89 P 11.70

82.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.51 P 6.65

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.19 P 28.68

42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.99 P 39.29

54.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.40 P 18.34

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.86 P 11.32

216.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.74 P 22.86

9.77%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.28 P 29.97

11.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.64 P 100

31.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.98 P 65.4

62.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$5.47 P 71.8

112.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.83 P 24.02

62.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.37 P 18.01

32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.84 P 24.19

9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.57 P 20.57

29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.42 P 18.65

49.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.20 P 15.70

89.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.17 P 15.37

19.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.92 P 12.04

22.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.65 P 47.87

16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$4.24 P 55.7

266.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.60 P 20.94

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.09 P 27.39

72.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.53 P 6.99

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$30.23 P 397

-36.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.58 P 7.60

137.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.72 P 35.73

-89.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.94 P 38.59

85.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.14 P 14.94

14.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$22.7K P 297.2K

-17.52%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$17.1K P 223.8K

35.55%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$70.9 P 931

-42.39%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$25.80 P 338

3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$78.3 P 1,027

-61.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$33.13 P 435

57.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$15.22 P 200

76.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.62 P 86.9

-4.83%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$185 P 2,427

135.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,837 P 50.3K

171.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$41.61 P 546

36.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$24.02 P 315

84.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$74.9 P 982

37.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$98.5 P 1,292

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$244 P 3,199

319.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$144 P 1,882

339.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$530 P 6,955

302.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$337 P 4,425

268.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,011 P 26.4K

94.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,299 P 17.0K

58.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$452 P 5,928

146.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.12

24.34%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $244 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 147% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $179 per month, with Gaborone 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 Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 147% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $244 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Gaborone versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gaborone is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.