Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Somerset West

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,160 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Somerset West

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Somerset West actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,160 in Somerset West.

Mexico City $1,608
Somerset West $1,160

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,888 in Somerset West.

Mexico City $2,549
Somerset West $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,615 in Somerset West.

Mexico City $3,490
Somerset West $2,615

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than in Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Somerset West is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$12.23 R 204

-13.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$45.52 R 759

6.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$5.44 R 90.7

90.26%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.06 R 34.34

79.13%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$1.06 R 17.74

57.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.84 R 14.01

51.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$2.58 R 42.91

23.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$3.27 R 54.5

62.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.03 R 17.13

66.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.98 R 16.39

210.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.08 R 34.70

-6.73%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$2.28 R 38.00

26.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$8.34 R 139

31.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$5.18 R 86.3

78.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$9.22 R 154

64.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.81 R 30.23

68.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.89 R 31.47

2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$1.74 R 29.00

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.69 R 28.20

36.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$1.51 R 25.23

35.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.53 R 25.48

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.29 R 21.42

14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$1.07 R 17.80

18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$3.39 R 56.5

56.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$5.89 R 98.1

173.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.36 R 22.73

45.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.75 R 29.17

142.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$1.11 R 18.47

-72.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$60.4 R 1,007

-67.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$0.59 R 9.81

211.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$1.54 R 25.72

-65.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$4.94 R 82.4

7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.42 R 23.68

6.34%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$29.3K R 487.5K

-25.65%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$29.4K R 489.1K

-18.29%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$82.1 R 1,368

-23.26%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$29.05 R 484

-5.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$40.47 R 674

-11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$44.16 R 736

33.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$10.43 R 174

126.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$7.28 R 121

-12.09%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$251 R 4,175

72.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$3,596 R 59.9K

217.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$30.99 R 516

120.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$31.32 R 522

69.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$71.3 R 1,189

51.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$56.3 R 939

108.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$643 R 10.7K

73.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$426 R 7,095

66.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$1,341 R 22.3K

92.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$937 R 15.6K

50.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$1,221 R 20.3K

197.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$892 R 14.9K

139.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$1,418 R 23.6K

-33.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

10.12

12.15%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Somerset West

$426 36.7% 40.1% $285

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Somerset West

$200 17.2% 37.5% $120

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Somerset West

$166 14.3% 16.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Somerset West

$86 7.4% 45.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Somerset West

$152 13.1% 20.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Somerset West

$59 5.1% 18.2% $13

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Somerset West

$73 6.3% 187% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $643 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $46 in Somerset West for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $200 per month, with Somerset West cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

01:09 1:09 AM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

55,166

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Somerset West 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Somerset West

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,160 in Somerset West, so Somerset West is about 28% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $643 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 67% less than in Somerset West. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $251 in Somerset West. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Somerset West gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.