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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,064 in Stellenbosch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,742 in Stellenbosch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,419 in Stellenbosch.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Stellenbosch is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$8.29 R 137

57.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$33.91 R 560

58.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.14 R 68.4

133.82%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.83 R 30.22

104.37%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.73 R 12.12

121.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.54 R 8.94

114.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.19 R 36.09

47.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.21 R 36.46

114.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.89 R 14.68

85.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.76 R 12.49

261.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.46 R 24.11

28.08%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.90 R 31.43

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.94 R 115

46.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.72 R 78.0

74.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.08 R 117

66.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.04 R 17.13

189.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.23 R 20.24

47.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.81 R 13.30

146.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.33 R 21.90

50.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.82 R 13.54

153.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.20 R 19.76

89.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.91 R 15.08

60.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.84 R 13.85

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.89 R 47.70

50.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.00 R 99.1

183.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.41 R 23.29

22.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.69 R 27.82

111.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.11 R 18.29

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$8.62 R 142

116.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.37 R 22.65

-2.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.99 R 16.40

-71.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.86 R 47.16

83.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.20 R 19.77

11.67%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$13.2K R 217.6K

47.24%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$23.8K R 393.6K

-0.07%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$95.8 R 1,581

-57.53%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$28.18 R 465

-4.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$40.31 R 665

-24.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$35.89 R 592

47.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$2.88 R 47.56

825.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.63 R 92.9

15.63%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$212 R 3,501

101.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,366 R 22.5K

668.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$45.14 R 745

26.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$19.87 R 328

128.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$99.5 R 1,642

4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$57.0 R 941

89.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$544 R 8,976

84.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$442 R 7,287

41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,341 R 22.1K

57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,061 R 17.5K

14.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$3,128 R 51.6K

-66.82%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $544 in Stellenbosch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stellenbosch pays 201% 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 $292 vs $159 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,064 including rent). Stellenbosch is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 201% lower in Stellenbosch. 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $544 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 117% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 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 $1,064 in Stellenbosch versus $1,456 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.