Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Somerset West Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Somerset West

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $997 in Somerset West.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,598 in Somerset West.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,199 in Somerset West.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 47% more expensive than Somerset West, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Somerset West is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.31 R 135

58.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$39.47 R 641

36.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.03 R 81.8

87.28%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.96 R 31.90

81.12%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.80 R 12.97

102.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.87 R 14.16

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.58 R 41.98

20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.54 R 41.32

82.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$0.89 R 14.39

91.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.91 R 14.80

198.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.87 R 30.37

2.14%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.13 R 34.57

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.62 R 124

31.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.87 R 79.1

66.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.37 R 120

57.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.57 R 25.59

89.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.48 R 24.13

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.45 R 23.59

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.59 R 25.89

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.09 R 17.67

94.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.23 R 19.98

84.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.10 R 17.81

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.99 R 16.03

14.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.13 R 50.9

36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.00 R 97.6

159.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.41 R 22.99

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.65 R 26.83

118.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.63 R 26.44

-76.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.36 R 22.15

1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.00 R 16.19

-72.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.42 R 71.8

23.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.25 R 20.39

4.00%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$19.7K R 319.8K

-5.05%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$22.0K R 358.0K

5.00%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$69.5 R 1,129

-41.17%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$29.26 R 475

-8.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$40.77 R 663

-26.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$38.58 R 627

34.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.68 R 108

-5.69%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$216 R 3,505

102.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$3,368 R 54.7K

209.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$31.23 R 508

81.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$27.27 R 443

62.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$66.6 R 1,081

54.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$63.9 R 1,038

65.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$619 R 10.1K

65.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$386 R 6,280

63.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,254 R 20.4K

70.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$853 R 13.9K

45.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,246 R 20.3K

213.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$915 R 14.9K

125.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,445 R 23.5K

-22.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.5

8.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $619 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays 30% 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 $39.00 in Somerset West for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $178 per month, with Somerset West 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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Somerset West differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $997 including rent). Somerset West is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Somerset West earns 30% 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 $619 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $216 in Somerset West. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Somerset West – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $997 in Somerset West versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Somerset West but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Somerset West 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Somerset West are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Somerset West gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.