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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $806 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,311 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,816 in Stilbaai.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 80% more expensive than Stilbaai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Stilbaai is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$5.70 R 92.1

127.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$45.14 R 730

16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.53 R 73.3

108.17%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.44 R 23.30

147.92%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.58 R 9.40

177.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.54 R 8.77

112.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.87 R 46.33

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.69 R 27.39

187.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.80 R 12.94

112.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.54 R 8.79

388.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.66 R 26.77

14.46%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.40 R 38.83

5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$4.60 R 74.3

119.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.60 R 74.4

80.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.37 R 119

56.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.26 R 20.39

140.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$0.86 R 13.86

98.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.10 R 17.75

86.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.25 R 20.28

64.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.33 R 5.31

524.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.18 R 19.04

83.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.85 R 13.82

64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.54 R 8.79

107.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.06 R 49.51

40.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.89 R 79.1

215.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$0.82 R 13.21

103.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.14 R 18.44

223.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.61 R 26.02

-76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.42 R 22.89

-2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.26 R 4.16

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$4.37 R 70.6

24.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.24 R 20.11

3.23%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$16.7K R 269.7K

13.76%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$16.6K R 268.5K

41.25%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$52.4 R 847

-21.75%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$32.39 R 524

-16.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$27.76 R 449

6.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$31.43 R 508

66.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.02 R 81.1

23.11%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$210 R 3,397

103.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$1,125 R 18.2K

850.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$28.38 R 459

100.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$16.70 R 270

168.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$56.3 R 910

85.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$55.8 R 902

89.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$358 R 5,781

178.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$338 R 5,458

84.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$684 R 11.1K

210.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$701 R 11.3K

78.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$984 R 15.9K

296.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$604 R 9,757

247.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$2,470 R 39.9K

-55.17%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $358 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 123% 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 $288 vs $140 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 80% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $806 including rent). Stilbaai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stilbaai earns 123% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $358 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 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 $806 in Stilbaai versus $1,447 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 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.