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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,006 in Middelburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,566 in Middelburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,127 in Middelburg.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than Middelburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Middelburg is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$8.52 R 138

52.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$33.73 R 545

55.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.80 R 77.5

96.46%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.22 R 19.70

192.62%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.76 R 12.22

111.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.57 R 9.15

101.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.10 R 17.72

186.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.42 R 23.02

242.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.16 R 18.79

46.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.95 R 15.42

177.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.38 R 22.29

37.68%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.60 R 25.94

58.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$5.60 R 90.5

80.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.73 R 76.5

75.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$6.04 R 97.6

91.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.49 R 24.08

103.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.02 R 16.46

67.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.08 R 17.53

89.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.20 R 19.48

71.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.62 R 26.12

27.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.12 R 18.06

93.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.13 R 18.24

23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.95 R 15.39

17.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.26 R 36.49

89.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.82 R 78.0

219.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.72 R 27.88

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.95 R 31.45

89.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.30 R 21.06

-70.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$38.62 R 624

-50.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.10 R 17.81

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.95 R 15.40

-70.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$3.91 R 63.3

38.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.28 R 20.75

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.1K R 341.8K

-10.22%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$23.7K R 382.6K

-0.87%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$116 R 1,879

-64.70%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$34.90 R 564

-22.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$42.11 R 681

-29.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$30.87 R 499

69.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.73 R 109

-8.17%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$198 R 3,204

115.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,306 R 69.6K

148.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$49.47 R 800

14.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$31.96 R 517

40.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$88.1 R 1,424

18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$80.1 R 1,294

32.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$359 R 5,802

177.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$339 R 5,484

83.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$682 R 11.0K

211.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$678 R 11.0K

84.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$896 R 14.5K

335.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$696 R 11.2K

201.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,167 R 18.9K

-5.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.51

-1.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $359 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Middelburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $161 per month, with Middelburg 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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Middelburg differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,006 including rent). Middelburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Middelburg earns 5% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $359 in Middelburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 103% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $198 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,006 in Middelburg versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg 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.

Expats usually find Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.