Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Port Elizabeth Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Port Elizabeth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,236 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,900 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,563 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Port Elizabeth is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$206

$11.37 R 183

6.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$887

$44.17 R 709

18.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$6.12 R 98.3

78.10%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.8

$2.13 R 34.16

90.14%

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

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.10 R 17.69

56.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.40

$0.80 R 12.91

72.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.9

$2.84 R 45.69

22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.7

$3.23 R 51.9

79.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.48

$1.22 R 19.56

51.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.7

$1.09 R 17.47

195.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.42

$1.49 R 24.00

40.27%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.41

$2.81 R 45.09

3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$9.08 R 146

37.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.56 R 89.4

81.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$270

$8.62 R 138

84.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.3

$2.14 R 34.44

54.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.12

$1.59 R 25.62

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.20

$1.68 R 26.95

30.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.57

$1.77 R 28.44

38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.18

$1.77 R 28.50

23.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.35

$1.42 R 22.80

33.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.33 R 21.32

21.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.92

$1.04 R 16.77

29.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$92.1

$3.37 R 54.1

61.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$299

$4.83 R 77.5

264.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.12

$1.31 R 21.03

58.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.6

$1.81 R 29.05

162.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.77

$1.18 R 18.99

-71.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

$36.87 R 592

-41.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.65

$2.17 R 34.93

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.82

$0.49 R 7.81

18.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$8.56 R 138

-30.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.44

$1.41 R 22.68

14.89%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$36.5K R 586.0K

-37.47%

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

$26.7K MX$452.8K

$34.5K R 553.8K

-22.67%

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

$65.2 MX$1,108

$125 R 2,013

-47.93%

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

$29.87 MX$507

$35.65 R 573

-16.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$621

$46.87 R 753

-22.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,036

$32.16 R 517

89.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

$24.02 R 386

11.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$10.92 R 175

-37.27%

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

$453 MX$7,700

$185 R 2,974

144.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$227.1K

$6,340 R 101.8K

110.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,273

$72.1 R 1,158

4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$939

$38.23 R 614

44.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,929

$115 R 1,841

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,083

$99.9 R 1,604

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.3K

$633 R 10.2K

79.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

$429 R 6,896

65.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.7K

$846 R 13.6K

204.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.3K

$704 R 11.3K

86.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

$799 R 12.8K

399.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

$545 R 8,755

284.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

$1,641 R 26.4K

-36.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.94

-5.36%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 57% 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 $44.00 in Port Elizabeth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $203 per month, with Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Port Elizabeth differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,236 including rent). Port Elizabeth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Port Elizabeth. 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 $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port Elizabeth runs roughly 71% 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 $185 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,236 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Elizabeth but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.