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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,000 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,593 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,187 in Upington.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 45% more expensive than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Upington is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$11.25 R 182

15.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$34.00 R 550

54.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.78 R 77.2

97.28%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.64 R 26.45

117.68%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.00 R 16.10

61.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.70 R 11.35

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.56 R 25.18

101.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.53 R 40.96

92.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.85 R 13.81

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.10 R 17.83

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.57 R 25.46

21.02%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.46 R 39.79

3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.76 R 125

29.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.58 R 74.1

81.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$6.81 R 110

69.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.62 R 26.14

87.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.46 R 23.55

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.55 R 25.05

32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.64 R 26.47

25.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.32 R 21.37

56.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.19 R 19.20

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.05 R 16.99

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.95 R 15.41

17.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.56 R 41.38

67.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$3.69 R 59.7

317.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.37 R 22.16

21.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.65 R 26.65

123.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.63 R 26.37

-76.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.11 R 17.87

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.90 R 14.58

-68.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$4.14 R 66.9

30.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.25 R 20.18

2.40%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$21.4K R 345.4K

-11.15%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$23.5K R 379.5K

-0.04%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$119 R 1,929

-65.63%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$35.51 R 574

-24.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$42.30 R 684

-29.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$30.45 R 492

71.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.85 R 111

-9.78%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$196 R 3,161

118.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,300 R 69.5K

148.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$49.68 R 803

14.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$31.64 R 512

41.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$88.2 R 1,425

18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$78.7 R 1,273

34.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$364 R 5,883

173.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$332 R 5,374

86.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$570 R 9,218

272.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$700 R 11.3K

79.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$929 R 15.0K

320.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$696 R 11.3K

201.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$802 R 13.0K

37.98%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Upington: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $364 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 38% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $173 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 45% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,000 including rent). Upington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 38% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $364 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 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 $34.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Upington versus $1,447 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 45% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.