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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $804 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,309 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,814 in Stilbaai.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 83% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$229

$5.72 R 95.3

129.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$44.69 R 745

19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$4.40 R 73.3

112.05%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$1.37 R 22.78

170.07%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.54 R 9.04

196.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.57 R 9.51

96.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.83 R 47.10

10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$1.67 R 27.76

190.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$0.76 R 12.68

117.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$0.50 R 8.40

442.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$1.65 R 27.55

15.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.41 R 40.08

7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$4.35 R 72.5

125.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.41 R 73.5

91.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$7.65 R 128

55.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.21 R 20.21

143.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$0.81 R 13.52

114.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.15 R 19.15

77.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.26 R 20.91

63.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$0.35 R 5.85

514.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.24 R 20.60

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$0.86 R 14.25

61.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.58 R 9.73

93.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$3.05 R 50.9

38.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$4.65 R 77.4

276.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$0.81 R 13.57

111.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$1.15 R 19.08

215.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$1.67 R 27.80

-79.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$1.38 R 22.92

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.28 R 4.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$4.53 R 75.5

16.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.24 R 20.60

9.68%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$16.7K R 278.1K

14.43%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$16.8K R 279.2K

40.87%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$51.2 R 853

-20.89%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$32.58 R 543

-15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$27.49 R 458

10.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$31.46 R 524

65.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$4.98 R 83.0

24.30%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$216 R 3,590

97.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$1,125 R 18.7K

853.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$28.33 R 472

105.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$17.13 R 285

160.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$55.2 R 920

87.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$55.7 R 927

95.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$369 R 6,145

174.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$340 R 5,663

83.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$674 R 11.2K

214.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$680 R 11.3K

79.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$797 R 13.3K

375.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$564 R 9,401

273.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$2,391 R 39.8K

-55.99%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $369 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 127% 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 $45.00 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 ($1,472 vs $804 including rent). Stilbaai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 127% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $369 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $216 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $804 in Stilbaai versus $1,472 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.