Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Howick

For one person, living is cheaper in Howick: $1,110 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Howick
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Howick Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Howick

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Howick

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Howick actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,110 in Howick.

Mexico City $1,674
Howick $1,110

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,660 in Howick.

Mexico City $2,606
Howick $1,660

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $2,209 in Howick.

Mexico City $3,537
Howick $2,209

Living in Mexico City is roughly 51% more expensive than in Howick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Howick is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$7.89 R 130

34.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$39.03 R 640

33.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$5.27 R 86.4

103.61%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.6

$2.74 R 44.98

38.69%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$1.14 R 18.68

41.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$0.83 R 13.67

45.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$2.44 R 40.00

30.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$2.60 R 42.72

109.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$1.19 R 19.45

44.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$0.97 R 15.96

206.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$1.54 R 25.32

25.32%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$2.40 R 39.42

15.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$8.39 R 138

39.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$5.29 R 86.8

79.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$7.16 R 118

114.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$2.00 R 32.75

55.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.95 R 31.95

0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$1.98 R 32.52

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$1.65 R 27.04

41.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$1.47 R 24.04

37.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$1.44 R 23.58

26.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$1.17 R 19.18

31.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$1.14 R 18.74

14.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$3.70 R 60.6

44.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$4.91 R 80.6

229.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$1.48 R 24.29

32.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$1.96 R 32.23

121.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$1.73 R 28.30

-82.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$0.44 R 7.17

336.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$0.71 R 11.62

-33.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$7.43 R 122

-27.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.34 R 21.98

10.45%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$34.8K R 571.6K

-38.66%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$34.3K R 562.4K

-30.69%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$149 R 2,445

-58.41%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$15.30 R 251

86.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$39.52 R 648

-13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$33.19 R 545

75.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

$12.77 R 209

91.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$7.50 R 123

-12.13%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$310 R 5,083

40.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$7,336 R 120.4K

91.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$51.5 R 844

32.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$27.56 R 452

98.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$96.4 R 1,581

15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,158

$77.7 R 1,274

49.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$387 R 6,345

204.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$401 R 6,575

92.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$764 R 12.5K

236.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$680 R 11.1K

108.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$730 R 12.0K

391.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$762 R 12.5K

170.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.78

-3.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Howick: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Howick

$401 36.1% 48% $370

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Howick

$195 17.6% 39.7% $128

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Howick

$137 12.4% 31.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Howick

$114 10.3% 27.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Howick

$204 18.4% 63.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Howick

$48 4.3% 32.7% $23

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Howick

$11 * 1% 56.5% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $387 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $39 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $195 per month, with Howick cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇿🇦 Howick

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

32,453

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.09 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.41 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.09 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Howick 14,810 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Howick

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $1,665 in Howick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $387 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $310 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39 versus $52 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,110 in Howick versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.