Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kimberley

For one person, living is cheaper in Kimberley: $1,138 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Kimberley
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,138
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kimberley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $1,138 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Kimberley $1,138

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $1,907 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Kimberley $1,907

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $2,676 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Kimberley $2,676

Mexico City costs about 36% more than Kimberley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Kimberley is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$12.12 R 200
-9.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$36.35 R 599
33.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$6.22 R 103
75.24%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$2.99 R 49.32
23.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$1.29 R 21.17
26.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$1.30 R 21.49
-3.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$2.79 R 45.92
16.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$2.67 R 44.00
107.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.55 R 25.50
9.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.16 R 19.03
160.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$2.94 R 48.49
-34.69%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$2.91 R 48.01
-6.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$6.52 R 107
80.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$5.89 R 97.0
61.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$8.33 R 137
72.99%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$2.35 R 38.64
28.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$2.44 R 40.25
-22.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$1.78 R 29.25
11.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$3.34 R 55.0
-34.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$1.52 R 24.99
26.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$1.41 R 23.18
32.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$1.39 R 22.85
3.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$0.90 R 14.76
41.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$3.28 R 54.0
59.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$6.56 R 108
146.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$2.30 R 37.83
-17.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$2.87 R 47.29
47.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$1.53 R 25.15
-77.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
$33.18 R 547
-40.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$0.58 R 9.55
244.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$0.82 R 13.51
-36.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$13.15 R 217
-59.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.45 R 23.81
4.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$37.5K R 617.3K
-41.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$38.3K R 630.5K
-35.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$108 R 1,772
-43.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$35.15 R 579
-18.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$42.40 R 699
-18.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$22.40 R 369
151.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
$10.56 R 174
135.61%
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$7.16 R 118
-6.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$242 R 3,981
76.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$6,107 R 100.6K
90.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$54.5 R 897
24.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$30.14 R 497
72.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$101 R 1,669
4.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$90.8 R 1,495
24.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$263 R 4,329
290.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$338 R 5,574
93.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$645 R 10.6K
258.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$928 R 15.3K
33.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
$806 R 13.3K
347.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
$619 R 10.2K
212.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Kimberley
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$949 R 15.6K
1.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
10.94
3.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Kimberley
$338 48.3% $316
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Kimberley
$229 28.1% $89
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Kimberley
$181 11.1% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Kimberley
$124 18.2% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Kimberley
$185 49.1% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Kimberley
$37 47.3% $33
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Kimberley
$44 71.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $263 in Kimberley. 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 2% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $36.00 in Kimberley. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $229 – making Kimberley the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇿🇦 Kimberley
🕒 Local time
04:51 4:51 AM
12:51 12:51 PM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
225,160
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Kimberley 14,280 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Kimberley

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 Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kimberley cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $1,708 in Kimberley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Kimberley?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $1,138 in Kimberley. That's a gap of about 36%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 69% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Kimberley?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mexico City or Kimberley more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kimberley – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kimberley. 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.

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