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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $955 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,481 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,007 in Rustenburg.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 55% more expensive than Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Rustenburg is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$11.18 R 188

16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$44.02 R 738

20.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.99 R 66.9

143.61%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.91 R 31.95

96.34%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.91 R 15.30

72.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.49 R 8.21

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.37 R 22.90

132.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.08 R 34.96

124.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.12 R 18.75

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.83 R 13.96

226.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.66 R 27.84

13.25%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.92 R 32.22

30.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$5.60 R 93.9

80.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.14 R 69.5

100.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$6.64 R 111

79.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.58 R 26.49

81.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.37 R 22.98

27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.27 R 21.34

63.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.58 R 26.56

24.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.83 R 13.89

160.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.76 R 12.81

186.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.09 R 18.27

27.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.95 R 15.87

17.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.49 R 41.83

68.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.66 R 78.1

205.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.15 R 19.35

53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.09 R 18.35

237.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.11 R 18.54

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$44.10 R 740

-57.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.91 R 15.22

52.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.90 R 15.05

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$3.98 R 66.8

36.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.28 R 21.41

5.47%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.6K R 378.9K

-16.43%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$23.7K R 397.0K

-2.20%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$69.0 R 1,157

-40.86%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$12.82 R 215

114.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$43.70 R 733

-30.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$23.35 R 392

128.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$5.53 R 92.8

375.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.40 R 73.8

42.50%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$103 R 1,729

322.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$5,008 R 84.0K

109.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$50.9 R 854

11.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$34.15 R 573

31.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$87.9 R 1,474

17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$78.1 R 1,310

38.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$308 R 5,167

224.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$330 R 5,534

88.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$685 R 11.5K

211.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$581 R 9,742

112.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$719 R 12.1K

437.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$601 R 10.1K

287.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,330 R 22.3K

-19.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.9

14.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $308 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Rustenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $157 per month, with Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rustenburg differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $955 including rent). Rustenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rustenburg earns 25% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $308 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rustenburg runs roughly 136% 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 $103 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $955 in Rustenburg versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.