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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $861 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,303 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,745 in Gaborone.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than in Gaborone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Gaborone is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$11.38 P 149

6.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$29.78 P 391

80.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.12 P 80.4

81.21%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.33 P 30.64

75.97%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.78 P 10.27

115.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.45 P 5.86

208.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.06 P 27.11

61.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.55 P 33.51

130.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.53 P 20.12

20.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.91 P 11.99

248.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.85 P 24.28

11.89%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.54 P 33.36

15.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$5.89 P 77.4

113.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.75 P 62.4

112.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$5.12 P 67.2

214.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.65 P 21.65

105.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.40 P 18.37

48.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.09 P 27.40

1.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.72 P 22.53

40.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.43 P 18.78

48.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.22 P 16.05

64.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.46 P 19.18

6.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.92 P 12.08

47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.67 P 48.19

57.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.38 P 57.5

305.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.45 P 19.02

42.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.76 P 23.16

161.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.61 P 8.07

-39.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$30.13 P 396

-29.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.66 P 8.63

210.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$2.59 P 34.02

-77.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$3.03 P 39.76

100.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.45 P 19.02

6.90%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$20.6K P 270.4K

11.12%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$20.9K P 274.3K

30.44%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$61.7 P 810

9.29%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$19.96 P 262

53.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$41.97 P 551

-11.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$36.10 P 474

70.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$16.99 P 223

59.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$6.50 P 85.4

9.38%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$129 P 1,696

253.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$2,565 P 33.7K

433.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$46.58 P 612

59.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$17.63 P 232

223.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$69.1 P 908

67.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$74.0 P 972

64.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$310 P 4,067

270.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$214 P 2,807

231.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$483 P 6,349

433.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$326 P 4,276

297.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,079 P 27.3K

92.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,269 P 16.7K

67.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$455 P 5,980

137.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.67

-3.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $310 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 138% 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 $345 vs $175 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $310 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% 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 $861 in Gaborone versus $1,677 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 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.