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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Pietermaritzburg versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,153 in Pietermaritzburg versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Pietermaritzburg costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pietermaritzburg is 21% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 R 135

$13.18 MX$228

-36.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.99 R 699

$53.9 MX$932

-20.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 93.6

$9.42 MX$163

-38.85%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 36.35

$3.55 MX$61.4

-36.90%

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

$0.88 R 14.31

$1.62 MX$27.98

-45.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R 11.20

$1.11 MX$19.27

-37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 R 27.13

$3.12 MX$54.0

-46.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R 38.12

$4.63 MX$80.1

-49.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R 17.04

$1.70 MX$29.43

-38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 R 13.06

$2.72 MX$47.02

-70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.33

$1.91 MX$33.07

-21.47%

Eggs

$2.35 R 38.19

$2.54 MX$43.86

-7.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 R 114

$10.03 MX$174

-30.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 R 76.5

$8.09 MX$140

-41.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R 111

$11.62 MX$201

-41.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.91

$2.97 MX$51.3

-44.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.61

$1.81 MX$31.24

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 31.58

$2.01 MX$34.82

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.20

$2.03 MX$35.20

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.11

$2.12 MX$36.75

-27.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.64

$2.27 MX$39.25

-22.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.06

$1.40 MX$24.22

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.19

$1.13 MX$19.55

-11.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R 47.55

$4.27 MX$73.9

-31.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 R 57.6

$15.56 MX$269

-77.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.27

$1.76 MX$30.39

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 28.92

$3.60 MX$62.2

-50.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 R 44.44

$0.38 MX$6.62

618.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.34 R 298

$19.18 MX$332

-4.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R 27.48

$1.38 MX$23.79

22.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.49

$0.28 MX$4.78

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 R 64.7

$5.45 MX$94.2

-26.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.47

$1.30 MX$22.55

-7.69%

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

$23.4K R 380.4K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

25.26%

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

$22.9K R 371.7K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-1.11%

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

$238 R 3,861

$40.86 MX$707

481.55%

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

$30.61 R 497

$26.81 MX$464

14.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 R 948

$29.96 MX$518

94.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.05 R 618

$52.0 MX$900

-26.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 R 80.3

$6.30 MX$109

-21.59%

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

$148 R 2,401

$436 MX$7,544

-66.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,723 R 76.8K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-54.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 R 1,011

$56.7 MX$980

9.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 R 615

$44.38 MX$768

-14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 R 2,885

$103 MX$1,780

72.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.4 R 1,226

$106 MX$1,825

-28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 R 3,280

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-80.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 R 2,986

$631 MX$10.9K

-70.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,492

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-75.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 R 6,161

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-69.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$916 R 14.9K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-76.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$442 R 7,187

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-78.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 R 14.9K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-17.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.34

1.41%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $202 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 21% 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: $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $288 per month, with Pietermaritzburg 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

Pietermaritzburg vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pietermaritzburg and Mexico City differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,061 vs $1,467 including rent). Pietermaritzburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 21% 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: $202 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pietermaritzburg runs roughly 5% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $148 in Pietermaritzburg versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pietermaritzburg but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.