Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Escondido and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,101 per month in Puerto Escondido vs $1,274 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,749 per month in Puerto Escondido vs $2,011 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,398 per month in Puerto Escondido vs $2,747 in Cape Town, rent included.

Puerto Escondido is about 14% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Puerto Escondido and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Escondido 18% lower, Cape Town 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.71 MX$170

$10.87 R 180

-10.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.35 MX$673

$44.99 R 745

-14.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$138

$5.17 R 85.5

52.61%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$59.2

$1.99 R 32.87

69.35%

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

$1.29 MX$22.65

$1.15 R 18.98

12.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.72

$0.88 R 14.54

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.74

$2.87 R 47.57

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 MX$69.9

$2.45 R 40.55

62.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$26.61

$1.16 R 19.27

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$47.05

$1.10 R 18.23

143.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$1.90 R 31.41

-43.16%

Eggs

$1.94 MX$34.10

$2.47 R 40.92

-21.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 MX$139

$8.55 R 142

-7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$142

$5.04 R 83.4

60.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.76 MX$206

$7.48 R 124

57.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.55

$1.52 R 25.09

78.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 MX$18.34

$1.42 R 23.49

-26.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.79

$1.46 R 24.18

16.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.89

$1.54 R 25.58

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.72

$1.12 R 18.57

91.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 MX$46.04

$1.24 R 20.54

112.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.67

$1.09 R 17.99

8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.20

$0.96 R 15.84

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.80 MX$84.2

$3.02 R 49.93

58.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 MX$186

$6.02 R 99.7

75.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 MX$40.33

$1.39 R 23.04

65.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$48.16

$1.67 R 27.63

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MX$12.93

$0.97 R 16.05

-23.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R 781

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$46.41

$1.43 R 23.75

85.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.90

$0.93 R 15.46

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 MX$143

$4.46 R 73.9

82.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.31

$1.19 R 19.71

6.72%

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

$20.8K MX$364.9K

$21.2K R 351.3K

-1.97%

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

$22.5K MX$394.7K

$23.9K R 395.6K

-5.82%

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

$56.7 MX$994

$99.4 R 1,646

-42.99%

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

$21.99 MX$386

$33.36 R 552

-34.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 MX$963

$40.88 R 677

34.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.46 MX$376

$41.96 R 695

-48.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.60 MX$186

$8.18 R 135

29.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 MX$83.0

$6.87 R 114

-31.15%

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

$161 MX$2,820

$210 R 3,478

-23.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,615 MX$63.4K

$5,351 R 88.6K

-32.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 MX$924

$55.8 R 923

-5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 MX$692

$33.54 R 555

17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 MX$1,546

$113 R 1,873

-22.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 MX$1,411

$85.6 R 1,417

-6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,903

$768 R 12.7K

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,866

$523 R 8,658

-25.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 MX$16.5K

$1,455 R 24.1K

-35.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.5K

$1,044 R 17.3K

-26.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 MX$35.2K

$2,329 R 38.6K

-13.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 MX$21.4K

$1,509 R 25.0K

-19.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 MX$6,016

$1,600 R 26.5K

-78.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.77

-2.29%

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

Last update for Puerto Escondido: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Puerto Escondido versus $768 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 367% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Puerto Escondido versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Puerto Escondido vs $187 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Puerto Escondido vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 16% more than Puerto Escondido, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,651 per month in Puerto Escondido and $1,911 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Escondido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,101 in Puerto Escondido and $1,274 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $161 per month in Puerto Escondido and $210 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Escondido, where all-in costs run around $1,101, than in Cape Town at $1,274. In Puerto Escondido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Puerto Escondido costs $1,101 versus $1,274 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Escondido. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.