Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Stellenbosch Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Stellenbosch

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,061 in Stellenbosch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,726 in Stellenbosch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,391 in Stellenbosch.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Stellenbosch is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.31 R 136

58.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$33.72 R 551

59.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.24 R 69.3

122.17%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.84 R 30.01

92.93%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.80 R 13.12

102.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.59 R 9.61

88.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.22 R 36.30

40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.22 R 36.25

108.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.85 R 13.91

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.75 R 12.18

262.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.53 R 24.98

24.84%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.90 R 31.09

33.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.85 R 112

46.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.69 R 76.7

72.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.12 R 116

63.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.04 R 17.04

185.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.23 R 20.05

47.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.77 R 12.58

161.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.38 R 22.61

47.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.82 R 13.38

158.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.18 R 19.35

92.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.98 R 15.98

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.85 R 13.82

32.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.89 R 47.22

47.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.30 R 103

146.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.39 R 22.75

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.75 R 28.61

105.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.11 R 18.12

-65.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$8.21 R 134

133.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.37 R 22.42

0.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.93 R 15.19

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.73 R 44.69

99.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.20 R 19.60

8.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$13.0K R 212.0K

44.06%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$23.5K R 383.7K

-1.46%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$92.7 R 1,516

-55.94%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$28.94 R 473

-7.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$40.35 R 660

-25.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$35.56 R 581

46.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$2.87 R 46.92

835.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.55 R 90.7

13.51%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$212 R 3,462

105.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$1,338 R 21.9K

678.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$45.23 R 739

25.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$19.98 R 327

122.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$99.2 R 1,621

3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$55.5 R 908

90.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$560 R 9,154

82.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$457 R 7,472

38.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,343 R 22.0K

59.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,068 R 17.5K

16.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,503 R 40.9K

-55.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.77

-3.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $560 in Stellenbosch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stellenbosch pays 124% 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 $34.00 in Stellenbosch for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $160 per month, with Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Stellenbosch differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,061 including rent). Stellenbosch is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stellenbosch earns 124% 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 $560 in Stellenbosch. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Stellenbosch runs roughly 134% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $212 in Stellenbosch. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,061 in Stellenbosch versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Stellenbosch but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.