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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,206 in Stellenbosch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,983 in Stellenbosch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,759 in Stellenbosch.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than in Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Stellenbosch is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$7.27 R 116

66.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$37.85 R 605

37.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.05 R 80.8

115.84%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.12 R 33.83

91.04%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.98 R 15.66

75.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.79 R 12.62

74.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.84 R 45.47

22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.34 R 53.5

73.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.44 R 22.97

28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.15 R 18.39

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.81 R 28.90

15.47%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$3.02 R 48.32

-3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$8.99 R 144

38.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.93 R 94.8

70.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$7.53 R 120

111.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.83 R 29.20

80.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.53 R 24.54

39.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$1.74 R 27.80

25.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.58 R 25.20

55.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.11 R 17.73

97.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.53 R 24.42

24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.38 R 22.08

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.17 R 18.75

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.59 R 57.4

51.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$6.07 R 97.0

189.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.35 R 21.65

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.19 R 35.06

116.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$0.65 R 10.37

213.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.55 R 24.82

-62.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$5.23 R 83.7

14.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.37 R 21.87

18.25%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$37.2K R 595.6K

-38.74%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$33.3K R 533.1K

-20.02%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$106 R 1,687

-38.16%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$30.80 R 493

-3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$35.18 R 563

3.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$29.14 R 466

109.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$17.25 R 276

54.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$8.88 R 142

-22.86%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$257 R 4,105

76.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$2,466 R 39.4K

442.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$54.9 R 878

36.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$30.38 R 486

81.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$120 R 1,922

-5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$91.4 R 1,461

34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$705 R 11.3K

60.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$487 R 7,788

46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,514 R 24.2K

69.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,198 R 19.2K

9.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$2,637 R 42.2K

-60.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.7

5.61%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $705 in Stellenbosch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stellenbosch pays 152% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Stellenbosch for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $207 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,206 including rent). Stellenbosch is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 152% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $705 in Stellenbosch. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $257 in Stellenbosch. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Stellenbosch – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,206 in Stellenbosch versus $1,646 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.