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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $878 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,449 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,021 in Stilbaai.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than in Stilbaai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Stilbaai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$6.34 R 103

91.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$49.31 R 798

9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.89 R 79.1

126.79%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$1.59 R 25.66

157.86%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$0.66 R 10.68

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$0.65 R 10.53

113.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$3.16 R 51.1

5.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$1.86 R 30.14

216.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$0.90 R 14.63

105.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$0.58 R 9.38

446.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$1.92 R 31.09

7.81%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$3.18 R 51.4

-7.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$4.90 R 79.3

156.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.98 R 80.5

103.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.93 R 144

80.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$1.37 R 22.09

147.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$0.97 R 15.62

114.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$1.27 R 20.60

66.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$1.36 R 22.02

77.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$0.36 R 5.90

491.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$1.60 R 25.86

25.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.90 R 14.51

72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$0.62 R 9.98

119.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$3.82 R 61.8

51.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.92 R 79.6

260.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$0.97 R 15.65

113.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$1.29 R 20.79

257.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.44 R 23.22

-74.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$0.66 R 10.62

210.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$0.32 R 5.19

81.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.18 R 83.9

17.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.42 R 22.92

9.15%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$18.7K R 302.8K

22.21%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$19.0K R 307.4K

43.34%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$57.4 R 929

17.36%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$31.11 R 503

-1.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$31.68 R 512

17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$31.69 R 513

93.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.51 R 89.1

29.04%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$270 R 4,368

68.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$1,257 R 20.3K

989.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$31.87 R 516

132.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$18.97 R 307

200.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$61.4 R 993

87.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$63.2 R 1,022

92.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$454 R 7,347

152.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$380 R 6,144

86.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$737 R 11.9K

249.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$765 R 12.4K

69.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$933 R 15.1K

329.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$727 R 11.8K

193.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,477 R 40.1K

-56.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.02

2.54%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $454 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 129% 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 $49.00 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $159 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 91% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $878 including rent). Stilbaai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 129% lower in Stilbaai. 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 $454 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $270 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 $49.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $878 in Stilbaai versus $1,677 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 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.