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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,600 in Pietermaritzburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,129 in Pietermaritzburg.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than in Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Pietermaritzburg is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$204

$7.92 R 126

52.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$881

$37.51 R 598

39.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.78 R 92.2

88.58%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$2.44 R 38.96

65.98%

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

$1.72 MX$28.95

$1.21 R 19.29

42.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.25

$1.02 R 16.33

35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$2.33 R 37.23

48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$2.61 R 41.71

122.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$1.38 R 22.00

34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$0.95 R 15.18

238.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.20

$1.79 R 28.52

16.76%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.10

$3.33 R 53.1

-12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.20 R 115

73.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.24 R 83.5

92.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$6.93 R 111

129.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.10 R 33.52

57.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.90

$2.02 R 32.25

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.97

$2.40 R 38.32

-8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.31

$2.05 R 32.74

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.95

$1.79 R 28.53

22.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.15

$1.81 R 28.91

4.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.26

$1.59 R 25.34

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.78

$1.11 R 17.67

21.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$3.27 R 52.1

66.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$4.06 R 64.8

333.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$1.42 R 22.69

45.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$1.84 R 29.42

158.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$2.97 R 47.32

-88.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

$19.96 R 318

8.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.44

$1.71 R 27.20

19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$1.07 R 17.00

-45.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.27

$1.41 R 22.55

14.89%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$27.8K R 442.7K

-17.80%

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

$26.7K MX$450.0K

$27.6K R 440.1K

-3.37%

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

$65.2 MX$1,101

$210 R 3,351

-68.95%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$32.58 R 520

-8.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$38.29 R 611

-4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$44.49 R 710

37.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$3.10 R 49.40

761.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.88 R 77.8

40.37%

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

$453 MX$7,652

$186 R 2,970

143.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.7K

$5,342 R 85.2K

150.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,265

$58.3 R 930

28.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$933

$35.24 R 562

56.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,917

$120 R 1,915

-5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,070

$70.4 R 1,122

74.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$228 R 3,636

397.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$227 R 3,616

214.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$617 R 9,841

316.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$424 R 6,763

209.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$6,128 R 97.7K

-34.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$152 R 2,428

1276.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$1,090 R 17.4K

-3.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.67

-3.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $228 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pietermaritzburg pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Pietermaritzburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $202 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,072 including rent). Pietermaritzburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $228 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 8% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $186 in Pietermaritzburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,072 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,646 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 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.