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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,034 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,602 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,170 in Upington.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 42% more expensive than in Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Upington is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$11.00 R 181

19.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$33.12 R 545

61.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.99 R 82.2

86.97%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.54 R 25.40

140.26%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.00 R 16.43

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.68 R 11.14

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.55 R 25.48

102.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.50 R 41.10

94.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.82 R 13.50

101.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.13 R 18.68

139.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.57 R 25.79

21.66%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.45 R 40.34

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.86 R 129

24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.51 R 74.3

86.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$6.70 R 110

78.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.59 R 26.21

85.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.52 R 24.94

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.47 R 24.24

38.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.57 R 25.79

31.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.38 R 22.66

55.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.24 R 20.46

82.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.06 R 17.44

31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.92 R 15.07

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.51 R 41.26

68.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$3.83 R 63.0

357.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.38 R 22.73

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.67 R 27.42

117.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.62 R 26.70

-78.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.10 R 18.08

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.94 R 15.43

-70.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$4.07 R 66.9

29.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.28 R 21.09

6.25%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$21.5K R 354.7K

-11.34%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$23.9K R 392.7K

-1.05%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$120 R 1,977

-66.24%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$34.82 R 573

-21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$41.21 R 678

-26.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$30.52 R 502

71.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.53 R 108

-5.21%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$196 R 3,231

116.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,377 R 72.1K

145.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$50.5 R 831

15.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$31.78 R 523

40.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$87.3 R 1,436

18.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$80.6 R 1,326

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$363 R 5,976

179.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$334 R 5,492

86.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$564 R 9,283

275.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$703 R 11.6K

74.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$878 R 14.5K

331.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$709 R 11.7K

197.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$770 R 12.7K

36.62%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Upington: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $363 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 37% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $172 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 42% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,034 including rent). Upington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $363 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $196 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 $33.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Upington versus $1,472 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 42% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.