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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,607 in Pietermaritzburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,153 in Pietermaritzburg.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Pietermaritzburg is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.32 R 135

58.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$42.99 R 699

25.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.76 R 93.6

63.54%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.24 R 36.35

58.48%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.88 R 14.31

84.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.69 R 11.20

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.67 R 27.13

86.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.35 R 38.12

97.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.05 R 17.04

61.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.80 R 13.06

240.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.50 R 24.33

27.33%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.35 R 38.19

8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.99 R 114

43.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.71 R 76.5

71.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.82 R 111

70.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.66 R 26.91

78.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.76 R 28.61

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.94 R 31.58

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.74 R 28.20

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.54 R 25.11

37.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.76 R 28.64

28.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.30 R 21.06

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.00 R 16.19

13.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.93 R 47.55

45.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$3.55 R 57.6

338.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.43 R 23.27

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.78 R 28.92

102.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$2.73 R 44.44

-86.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$18.34 R 298

4.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.69 R 27.48

-18.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.52 R 8.49

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$3.98 R 64.7

36.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.20 R 19.47

8.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$23.4K R 380.4K

-20.17%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$22.9K R 371.7K

1.12%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$238 R 3,861

-82.80%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$30.61 R 497

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$58.3 R 948

-48.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$38.05 R 618

36.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.94 R 80.3

27.53%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$148 R 2,401

195.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,723 R 76.8K

120.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$62.2 R 1,011

-8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$37.81 R 615

17.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$178 R 2,885

-42.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$75.4 R 1,226

39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$202 R 3,280

406.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$184 R 2,986

243.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$523 R 8,492

308.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$379 R 6,161

227.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$916 R 14.9K

326.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$442 R 7,187

366.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$919 R 14.9K

21.37%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $202 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 ($1,467 vs $1,061 including rent). Pietermaritzburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 21% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $202 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 5% 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 $148 in Pietermaritzburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,467 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.