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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,167 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,849 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,532 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 25% more expensive than in Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Port Elizabeth is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$8.89 R 147

47.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$44.06 R 729

21.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.36 R 88.8

80.60%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.14 R 35.47

74.77%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.14 R 18.83

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$1.00 R 16.50

16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.56 R 42.41

26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.02 R 50.0

56.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.12 R 18.53

47.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$0.95 R 15.78

189.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.50 R 24.80

24.67%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.45 R 40.59

2.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.79 R 129

30.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$4.74 R 78.5

74.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$8.03 R 133

47.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.64 R 27.08

83.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.42 R 23.56

27.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.63 R 27.01

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.63 R 26.91

22.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.55 R 25.73

34.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.12 R 18.58

102.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.17 R 19.43

24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.01 R 16.68

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.95 R 48.75

47.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$4.86 R 80.4

249.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.10 R 18.22

57.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.72 R 28.40

108.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$1.13 R 18.74

-65.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$34.27 R 567

-45.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.67 R 44.18

-50.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.45 R 7.47

-37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$7.95 R 132

-33.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.27 R 20.98

5.51%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$23.9K R 396.2K

-18.89%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$25.8K R 426.5K

-7.50%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$114 R 1,892

-64.39%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$31.86 R 527

-15.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$44.72 R 740

-31.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$29.14 R 482

81.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$21.28 R 352

25.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$9.73 R 161

-33.09%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$168 R 2,783

154.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$4,835 R 80.0K

117.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$67.2 R 1,112

-14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$37.20 R 616

22.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$96.6 R 1,600

7.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$89.0 R 1,472

21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$584 R 9,670

71.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$438 R 7,243

42.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,097 R 18.2K

92.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$870 R 14.4K

40.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$772 R 12.8K

403.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$525 R 8,697

286.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$1,623 R 26.9K

-36.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.04

-5.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $584 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 56% 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 $44.00 in Port Elizabeth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $181 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,167 including rent). Port Elizabeth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $584 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 83% 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 $168 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,167 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,456 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.