Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roodepoort Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roodepoort

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,141 in Roodepoort.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,764 in Roodepoort.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,386 in Roodepoort.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 45% more expensive than in Roodepoort, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Roodepoort is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$12.49 R 203

-4.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$46.93 R 763

9.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$7.58 R 123

50.53%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.44 R 39.74

63.52%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.23 R 19.93

34.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.93 R 15.19

43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.33 R 37.87

48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.94 R 47.72

100.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.24 R 20.11

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.15 R 18.70

182.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.80 R 29.34

20.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.71 R 44.12

7.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.57 R 139

50.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.55 R 90.3

81.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$8.71 R 142

82.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.17 R 35.28

51.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.70 R 27.65

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.75 R 28.44

25.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.05 R 33.40

15.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.72 R 27.93

19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.71 R 27.73

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.20 R 19.51

34.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.34 R 21.80

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.43 R 55.7

59.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$6.02 R 97.8

193.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.58 R 25.70

30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.00 R 32.59

134.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.90 R 14.58

-62.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$0.99 R 16.14

112.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.90 R 14.63

-37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$14.71 R 239

-60.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.53 R 24.92

5.23%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$35.8K R 581.3K

-36.12%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$34.6K R 561.9K

-22.60%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$221 R 3,595

-70.53%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$38.04 R 618

-20.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$37.34 R 607

-0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$48.96 R 796

22.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.25 R 118

-2.90%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$247 R 4,017

88.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$5,591 R 90.9K

137.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$54.5 R 885

39.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$33.23 R 540

68.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$108 R 1,762

3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$92.8 R 1,508

29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$623 R 10.1K

76.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$249 R 4,054

189.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$1,569 R 25.5K

61.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$538 R 8,751

140.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$1,528 R 24.8K

-32.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.25

0.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Roodepoort: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $623 in Roodepoort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roodepoort pays 47% 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 $47.00 in Roodepoort for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $213 per month, with Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Roodepoort differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,141 including rent). Roodepoort is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Roodepoort. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $623 in Roodepoort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $247 in Roodepoort. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roodepoort – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Roodepoort versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roodepoort but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.