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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,006 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,576 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,146 in Upington.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 46% more expensive than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Upington is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$11.14 R 183

19.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$34.12 R 562

57.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.73 R 77.9

99.15%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.56 R 25.63

130.13%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.98 R 16.17

65.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.67 R 11.02

67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.54 R 25.40

111.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.58 R 42.52

80.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.88 R 14.49

86.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.11 R 18.22

138.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.59 R 26.17

23.27%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.41 R 39.71

5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$7.52 R 124

32.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$4.51 R 74.3

86.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$6.88 R 113

71.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.59 R 26.24

79.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.46 R 23.97

18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.47 R 24.26

35.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.59 R 26.11

28.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.33 R 21.89

54.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.23 R 20.28

85.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.05 R 17.27

38.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.90 R 14.76

21.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.50 R 41.13

70.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$3.76 R 61.9

290.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.39 R 22.85

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.69 R 27.88

111.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$1.61 R 26.50

-76.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.14 R 18.85

21.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.93 R 15.34

-67.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$3.96 R 65.2

36.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.24 R 20.37

8.06%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.2K R 349.1K

-11.05%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$23.7K R 390.5K

-2.14%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$120 R 1,983

-66.53%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$35.74 R 589

-24.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$40.99 R 675

-28.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$31.12 R 513

69.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.74 R 111

-8.31%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$201 R 3,303

119.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$4,263 R 70.2K

150.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$50.0 R 824

14.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$31.69 R 522

42.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$87.7 R 1,445

17.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$78.4 R 1,292

38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$365 R 6,014

173.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$331 R 5,452

90.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$561 R 9,248

281.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$699 R 11.5K

79.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$751 R 12.4K

398.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$688 R 11.3K

245.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$779 R 12.8K

38.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.38

-0.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Upington: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $365 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $34 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $171 per month, with Upington 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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Upington differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,006 including rent). Upington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 39% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $365 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $201 in Upington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Upington – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,006 in Upington versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Upington but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Upington 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 Upington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.