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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,158 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,839 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,519 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Port Elizabeth is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$9.00 R 147

46.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$44.72 R 731

20.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.30 R 86.7

77.74%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.23 R 36.38

59.19%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.17 R 19.19

38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.04 R 16.93

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.50 R 40.81

24.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.95 R 48.28

56.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.12 R 18.23

51.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.93 R 15.22

192.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.43 R 23.31

33.57%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.49 R 40.66

2.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.86 R 129

27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.86 R 79.5

66.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.05 R 132

44.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.68 R 27.42

76.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.41 R 23.12

28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.59 R 25.96

26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.62 R 26.49

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.50 R 24.45

41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.11 R 18.20

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.19 R 19.49

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.93 R 15.14

21.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.96 R 48.43

44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.00 R 81.7

211.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.16 R 18.99

51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.71 R 28.03

110.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.09 R 17.89

-65.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.50 R 564

-44.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.68 R 43.75

-48.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.44 R 7.26

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$8.04 R 131

-32.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.29 R 21.05

0.78%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.5K R 384.7K

-20.60%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$25.5K R 416.3K

-9.17%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$118 R 1,925

-65.30%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$32.46 R 531

-17.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$44.22 R 723

-32.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$28.98 R 474

79.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$20.80 R 340

29.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.52 R 156

-33.82%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$164 R 2,677

166.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$4,714 R 77.1K

120.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$66.6 R 1,089

-14.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$37.40 R 611

18.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$93.8 R 1,533

9.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$90.5 R 1,480

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$587 R 9,589

74.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$448 R 7,319

40.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,115 R 18.2K

91.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$871 R 14.2K

42.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$776 R 12.7K

402.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$545 R 8,917

278.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,620 R 26.5K

-31.17%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $587 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 45% 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 $45.00 in Port Elizabeth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,158 including rent). Port Elizabeth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Port Elizabeth earns 45% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $587 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 80% 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 $164 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,158 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,467 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.