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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,592 in Pietermaritzburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,133 in Pietermaritzburg.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than in Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Pietermaritzburg is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.92 R 131

65.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$43.07 R 711

24.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.57 R 92.0

73.79%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.14 R 35.27

74.77%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.93 R 15.28

74.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.70 R 11.56

65.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.64 R 26.98

96.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.42 R 39.96

95.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.04 R 17.20

58.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.82 R 13.51

235.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.52 R 25.05

23.03%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.28 R 37.58

9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.26 R 120

40.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.66 R 76.9

77.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.06 R 117

67.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.60 R 26.33

88.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.69 R 27.85

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.93 R 31.82

3.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.73 R 28.58

15.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.53 R 25.20

35.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.75 R 28.88

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.23 R 20.38

18.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.91 R 14.95

18.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.89 R 47.71

50.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$4.02 R 66.3

322.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.40 R 23.08

23.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.78 R 29.38

101.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.64 R 43.62

-85.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$18.28 R 302

2.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.71 R 28.16

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.52 R 8.61

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.13 R 68.1

27.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.21 R 20.04

10.74%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.7K R 391.0K

-18.07%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$22.8K R 376.9K

4.35%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$232 R 3,822

-82.43%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$30.00 R 495

-10.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$58.2 R 960

-47.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$38.55 R 636

36.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.11 R 84.3

27.40%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$151 R 2,489

183.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,784 R 78.9K

119.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$62.6 R 1,033

-8.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$38.00 R 627

19.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$180 R 2,967

-42.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$74.3 R 1,226

45.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$205 R 3,383

389.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$188 R 3,105

230.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$511 R 8,438

312.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$383 R 6,319

218.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$3,624 R 59.8K

7.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$447 R 7,383

354.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,071 R 17.7K

-3.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.5

-1.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $205 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pietermaritzburg pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $177 per month, with Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pietermaritzburg differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,052 including rent). Pietermaritzburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Pietermaritzburg. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $205 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pietermaritzburg runs roughly 2% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $151 in Pietermaritzburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,052 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pietermaritzburg but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.