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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $963 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,499 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,036 in Rustenburg.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 50% more expensive than Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Rustenburg is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$11.26 R 182

15.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$44.76 R 724

17.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$3.82 R 61.8

146.86%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.96 R 31.73

82.14%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.89 R 14.33

80.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.45 R 7.32

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.44 R 23.24

118.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.08 R 33.63

133.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.11 R 17.96

53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.84 R 13.55

214.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.69 R 27.33

12.43%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.98 R 31.96

28.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$5.60 R 90.6

80.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.12 R 66.6

101.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$6.87 R 111

68.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.65 R 26.61

83.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.40 R 22.58

22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.30 R 21.00

57.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.52 R 24.63

35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.81 R 13.14

154.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.79 R 12.85

174.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.08 R 17.48

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.90 R 14.60

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.47 R 39.91

73.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.57 R 73.9

237.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.11 R 17.88

50.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.09 R 17.66

238.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.10 R 17.72

-65.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$45.64 R 738

-58.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.97 R 15.67

42.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.88 R 14.27

-68.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$3.96 R 64.0

36.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.22 R 19.68

4.92%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$22.8K R 368.8K

-16.79%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$24.2K R 391.4K

-3.09%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$69.5 R 1,123

-40.96%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$12.67 R 205

112.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$42.61 R 689

-30.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$23.60 R 382

121.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$5.58 R 90.3

370.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$4.42 R 71.4

39.82%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$105 R 1,693

307.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,888 R 79.0K

118.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$51.3 R 829

10.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$33.88 R 548

32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$89.3 R 1,444

17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$80.3 R 1,297

32.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$309 R 5,001

221.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$342 R 5,536

81.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$662 R 10.7K

221.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$575 R 9,294

118.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,314 R 21.2K

-15.72%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $309 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 19% 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 $45.00 in Rustenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $158 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 50% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $963 including rent). Rustenburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rustenburg earns 19% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $309 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 139% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $105 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $963 in Rustenburg versus $1,447 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 50% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.