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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,009 in Middelburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,579 in Middelburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,150 in Middelburg.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 47% more expensive than Middelburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Middelburg is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.75 R 147

48.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$33.79 R 567

57.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.82 R 80.8

101.66%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.21 R 20.23

209.92%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.80 R 13.44

96.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.57 R 9.60

98.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.14 R 19.06

178.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.37 R 22.92

240.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.14 R 19.18

42.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.96 R 16.02

182.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.39 R 23.30

35.25%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.59 R 26.73

57.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$5.57 R 93.5

80.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.62 R 77.4

79.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$6.33 R 106

88.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.50 R 25.08

90.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.01 R 16.91

73.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.09 R 18.30

90.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.16 R 19.44

69.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.54 R 25.90

40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.11 R 18.65

96.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.17 R 19.63

18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.91 R 15.25

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.23 R 37.41

88.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.81 R 80.7

196.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.64 R 27.43

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.01 R 33.70

83.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.29 R 21.64

-69.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$38.64 R 648

-51.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.14 R 19.05

21.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.96 R 16.14

-68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$4.07 R 68.3

33.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.24 R 20.86

8.87%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$21.3K R 356.6K

-11.19%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$23.7K R 397.0K

-2.19%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$116 R 1,949

-64.88%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$35.10 R 589

-21.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$42.23 R 708

-28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$30.54 R 512

74.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.82 R 114

-8.06%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$201 R 3,369

117.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,340 R 72.8K

141.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$50.6 R 849

12.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$32.83 R 551

36.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$87.7 R 1,470

17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$80.4 R 1,349

34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$364 R 6,111

174.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$330 R 5,535

87.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$679 R 11.4K

214.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$700 R 11.7K

76.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$772 R 12.9K

400.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$678 R 11.4K

243.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,178 R 19.8K

-9.38%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $364 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 10% 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 $286 vs $160 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,009 including rent). Middelburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Middelburg earns 10% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $364 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 107% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $201 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,009 in Middelburg versus $1,484 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 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.