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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,151 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,772 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,393 in Upington.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than in Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Upington is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$12.34 R 200

-3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$38.26 R 622

34.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.03 R 98.0

89.22%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.79 R 29.03

122.91%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.08 R 17.48

53.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.76 R 12.30

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.71 R 27.81

102.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.88 R 46.81

104.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$0.98 R 15.92

91.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.22 R 19.89

166.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.79 R 29.07

20.67%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.73 R 44.40

6.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.72 R 142

47.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.37 R 87.2

87.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.70 R 125

105.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.86 R 30.29

76.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.73 R 28.06

16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.78 R 28.96

23.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.65 R 26.75

43.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.55 R 25.21

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.48 R 24.10

28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.23 R 19.98

30.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$1.19 R 19.31

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.88 R 46.86

89.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$3.86 R 62.7

357.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.49 R 24.13

38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.99 R 32.41

135.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.55 R 25.17

-78.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.65 R 10.59

223.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.98 R 15.94

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$8.82 R 143

-34.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.45 R 23.55

11.03%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$36.4K R 592.1K

-37.33%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$32.4K R 526.6K

-17.48%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$145 R 2,357

-55.07%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$35.82 R 582

-16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$39.31 R 639

-5.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$32.77 R 532

82.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.62 R 124

-7.61%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$255 R 4,149

81.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$5,694 R 92.5K

133.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$54.8 R 890

38.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$34.06 R 553

64.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$108 R 1,754

3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$95.2 R 1,546

26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$435 R 7,062

153.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$381 R 6,191

89.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$614 R 9,980

311.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$778 R 12.6K

66.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$901 R 14.6K

343.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$700 R 11.4K

198.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$813 R 13.2K

27.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.38

-0.70%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Upington: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $435 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 28% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $197 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,151 including rent). Upington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $435 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $255 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 $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,151 in Upington versus $1,660 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 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.