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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,186 in Somerset West.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,965 in Somerset West.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,744 in Somerset West.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 41% more expensive than in Somerset West, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Somerset West is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$12.27 R 196

-1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$47.27 R 756

14.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$5.74 R 91.8

93.21%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$2.12 R 34.00

93.40%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.07 R 17.07

57.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.95 R 15.23

46.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$2.73 R 43.73

21.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$3.46 R 55.4

69.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.05 R 16.81

76.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$1.03 R 16.50

207.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$2.13 R 34.16

-2.82%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$2.34 R 37.44

25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$8.95 R 143

40.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.44 R 87.0

85.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$9.71 R 155

65.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$1.93 R 30.83

75.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$1.99 R 31.86

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$1.71 R 27.34

23.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$1.72 R 27.58

40.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$1.57 R 25.09

35.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$1.54 R 24.63

30.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$1.38 R 22.10

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$1.06 R 16.97

28.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$3.46 R 55.4

66.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$6.40 R 102

177.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.44 R 22.97

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$1.84 R 29.37

150.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

$1.21 R 19.31

-69.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

$61.3 R 980

-65.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$0.65 R 10.34

215.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$1.60 R 25.58

-63.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.06 R 80.9

19.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.44 R 22.99

7.64%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$30.3K R 484.3K

-24.41%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$30.0K R 480.2K

-9.26%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$86.2 R 1,379

-21.78%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$31.45 R 503

-2.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$40.32 R 645

-7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$46.98 R 752

30.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$11.11 R 178

144.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$7.44 R 119

-4.44%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$265 R 4,239

72.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$3,814 R 61.0K

259.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$32.05 R 513

131.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$31.89 R 510

78.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$72.5 R 1,160

59.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$59.7 R 955

103.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$670 R 10.7K

71.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$436 R 6,984

62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$1,369 R 21.9K

88.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$978 R 15.6K

32.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

$1,316 R 21.1K

204.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$921 R 14.7K

131.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$1,476 R 23.6K

-26.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.12

11.66%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $670 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays 36% 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 $47.00 in Somerset West for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $209 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 41% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,186 including rent). Somerset West is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Somerset West. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $670 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Somerset West runs roughly 189% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $265 in Somerset West. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,186 in Somerset West versus $1,677 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 41% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.