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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $800 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,341 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,882 in Rustenburg.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 107% more expensive than in Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Rustenburg is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$6.30 R 103

89.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$47.97 R 786

7.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.42 R 105

77.73%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.12 R 34.68

88.21%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.90 R 14.71

84.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.48 R 7.83

177.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.59 R 25.97

118.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.21 R 36.15

166.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.17 R 19.18

60.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.01 R 16.59

221.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.80 R 29.52

20.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$2.77 R 45.37

4.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$7.62 R 125

68.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.92 R 80.6

104.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.32 R 104

150.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.88 R 30.72

75.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.66 R 27.23

21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.79 R 29.39

22.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.14 R 18.70

107.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.36 R 22.25

50.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.11 R 18.20

71.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.30 R 21.27

23.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.96 R 15.67

45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.22 R 52.7

69.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.09 R 99.7

189.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$0.63 R 10.37

226.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$0.91 R 14.89

414.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.94 R 15.42

123.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.95 R 15.56

-41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$15.05 R 247

-61.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.46 R 23.95

10.27%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$29.5K R 482.5K

-22.47%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$27.3K R 447.2K

-2.02%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$76.2 R 1,249

-14.51%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$13.75 R 225

118.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$37.01 R 606

0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$21.91 R 359

172.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$6.05 R 99.2

338.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.96 R 81.3

41.94%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$112 R 1,831

315.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$5,636 R 92.3K

135.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$43.42 R 711

74.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$47.21 R 773

18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$110 R 1,808

1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$55.9 R 916

115.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$333 R 5,461

230.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$250 R 4,090

188.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$750 R 12.3K

237.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$520 R 8,525

148.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,117 R 18.3K

-7.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.9

14.14%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $333 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 8% 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 $48.00 in Rustenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $179 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 107% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $800 including rent). Rustenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Rustenburg. 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 $333 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $112 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rustenburg – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 in Rustenburg versus $1,660 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 107% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.