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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $809 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,327 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,845 in Stilbaai.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than Stilbaai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Stilbaai is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.43 R 91.1

139.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$44.59 R 748

19.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.41 R 74.0

120.41%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.43 R 24.03

162.24%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.59 R 9.82

166.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.58 R 9.71

94.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.75 R 46.15

15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.66 R 27.77

180.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.79 R 13.26

105.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.51 R 8.57

431.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.71 R 28.59

9.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.45 R 41.13

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$4.36 R 73.1

131.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.35 R 72.9

90.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.46 R 125

60.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.20 R 20.07

138.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$0.81 R 13.51

116.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.13 R 18.97

84.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.21 R 20.27

62.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.35 R 5.91

517.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.19 R 19.99

83.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.85 R 14.27

63.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.55 R 9.18

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.13 R 52.5

34.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$4.82 R 80.9

195.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.87 R 14.65

102.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.14 R 19.06

222.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.61 R 27.02

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.42 R 23.82

-2.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.28 R 4.74

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$4.40 R 73.9

23.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.19 R 19.89

13.45%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$17.0K R 284.4K

11.34%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$16.6K R 277.8K

39.74%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$52.1 R 873

-21.61%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$32.87 R 551

-16.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$27.50 R 461

10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$30.71 R 515

73.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.92 R 82.5

27.44%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$210 R 3,518

107.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,126 R 18.9K

829.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$28.12 R 472

101.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$16.86 R 283

165.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$56.2 R 942

83.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$56.2 R 942

92.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$357 R 5,994

179.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$335 R 5,615

85.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$693 R 11.6K

208.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$679 R 11.4K

81.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$686 R 11.5K

463.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$635 R 10.6K

267.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$2,414 R 40.5K

-55.80%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $357 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $138 per month, with Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Stilbaai differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $809 including rent). Stilbaai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stilbaai earns 126% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $357 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $210 in Stilbaai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Stilbaai – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Stilbaai versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stilbaai but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.