Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $997 in Somerset West versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in Somerset West versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,199 in Somerset West versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Somerset West costs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Somerset West is 26% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.31 R 135

$13.18 MX$228

-36.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.47 R 641

$53.9 MX$932

-26.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 R 81.8

$9.42 MX$163

-46.60%

Cappuccino

$1.96 R 31.90

$3.55 MX$61.4

-44.79%

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

$0.80 R 12.97

$1.62 MX$27.98

-50.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.16

$1.11 MX$19.27

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 41.98

$3.12 MX$54.0

-17.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R 41.32

$4.63 MX$80.1

-45.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R 14.39

$1.70 MX$29.43

-47.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 R 14.80

$2.72 MX$47.02

-66.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.37

$1.91 MX$33.07

-2.09%

Eggs

$2.13 R 34.57

$2.54 MX$43.86

-16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 R 124

$10.03 MX$174

-24.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 R 79.1

$8.09 MX$140

-39.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 R 120

$11.62 MX$201

-36.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.59

$2.97 MX$51.3

-47.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.13

$1.81 MX$31.24

-18.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.59

$2.01 MX$34.82

-27.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.89

$2.03 MX$35.20

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.67

$2.12 MX$36.75

-48.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 19.98

$2.27 MX$39.25

-45.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.81

$1.40 MX$24.22

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.03

$1.13 MX$19.55

-12.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 50.9

$4.27 MX$73.9

-26.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 R 97.6

$15.56 MX$269

-61.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.99

$1.76 MX$30.39

-19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 R 26.83

$3.60 MX$62.2

-54.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.44

$0.38 MX$6.62

328.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 R 22.15

$1.38 MX$23.79

-1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 R 16.19

$0.28 MX$4.78

257.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 R 71.8

$5.45 MX$94.2

-18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.39

$1.30 MX$22.55

-3.85%

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

$19.7K R 319.8K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

5.31%

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

$22.0K R 358.0K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-4.76%

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

$69.5 R 1,129

$40.86 MX$707

70.00%

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

$29.26 R 475

$26.81 MX$464

9.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.77 R 663

$29.96 MX$518

36.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 R 627

$52.0 MX$900

-25.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R 108

$6.30 MX$109

6.03%

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

$216 R 3,505

$436 MX$7,544

-50.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,368 R 54.7K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-67.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.23 R 508

$56.7 MX$980

-44.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.27 R 443

$44.38 MX$768

-38.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 R 1,081

$103 MX$1,780

-35.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.9 R 1,038

$106 MX$1,825

-39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 R 10.1K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 R 6,280

$631 MX$10.9K

-38.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 R 20.4K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-41.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 R 13.9K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-31.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,246 R 20.3K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-68.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 R 14.9K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-55.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,445 R 23.5K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

29.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

11.34

-7.41%

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

Last update for Somerset West: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Somerset West and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Somerset West vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $288 per month, with Somerset West 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

Somerset West vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerset West and Mexico City differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($997 vs $1,467 including rent). Somerset West is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Somerset West pays 30% 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: $619 in Somerset West versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $216 in Somerset West versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Somerset West – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $997 in Somerset West versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Somerset West but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Somerset West 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.

Safety-wise, Somerset West and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Somerset West gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.