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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,123 in Upington versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,789 in Upington versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,455 in Upington versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Upington costs roughly 33% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Upington is 19% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 R 200

$12.14 MX$206

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.08 R 613

$53.9 MX$914

-29.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 97.0

$11.09 MX$188

-45.72%

Cappuccino

$1.80 R 29.03

$4.10 MX$69.5

-56.10%

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

$1.09 R 17.53

$1.68 MX$28.53

-35.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.60

$1.39 MX$23.55

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 R 28.98

$3.33 MX$56.5

-45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 R 46.52

$5.88 MX$99.7

-50.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 R 15.71

$1.85 MX$31.41

-47.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 20.69

$3.17 MX$53.8

-59.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.44

$2.07 MX$35.13

-23.67%

Eggs

$3.08 R 49.55

$2.93 MX$49.67

5.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 R 134

$12.59 MX$214

-33.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 R 97.5

$10.11 MX$172

-40.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 R 119

$16.09 MX$273

-53.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.19

$3.39 MX$57.5

-44.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.21

$2.08 MX$35.26

-27.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R 25.75

$2.12 MX$35.97

-24.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 R 30.96

$2.41 MX$40.95

-20.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 R 23.82

$2.13 MX$36.11

-30.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.10

$2.01 MX$34.02

-34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 R 17.82

$1.55 MX$26.21

-28.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 21.75

$1.36 MX$23.15

-0.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R 44.91

$5.77 MX$97.8

-51.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.94 R 63.5

$17.74 MX$301

-77.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.32

$2.07 MX$35.11

-27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 R 29.00

$4.61 MX$78.3

-60.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 R 26.40

$0.37 MX$6.21

343.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 R 11.60

$2.05 MX$34.84

-64.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.09

$0.58 MX$9.79

62.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 R 130

$6.07 MX$103

32.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 23.78

$1.55 MX$26.34

-4.52%

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

$32.3K R 519.5K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

41.01%

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

$34.3K R 552.9K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

26.06%

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

$144 R 2,315

$67.4 MX$1,144

113.23%

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

$38.08 R 613

$30.62 MX$520

24.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.37 R 618

$37.24 MX$632

3.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 R 572

$61.5 MX$1,043

-42.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 R 125

$7.11 MX$121

9.00%

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

$254 R 4,094

$456 MX$7,739

-44.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,727 R 92.2K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-58.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 R 1,012

$74.2 MX$1,259

-15.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 R 543

$57.0 MX$967

-40.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 R 1,732

$115 MX$1,958

-6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 R 1,457

$122 MX$2,061

-25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 R 6,956

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-62.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 R 6,052

$709 MX$12.0K

-47.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 R 9,908

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-76.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 R 12.7K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-39.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,025 R 16.5K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-74.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$623 R 10.0K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-70.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$816 R 13.1K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-24.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

11.3

0.71%

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

Last update for Upington: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Upington and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 33% 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: $38.00 in Upington vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $345 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

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

Upington and Mexico City differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,123 vs $1,677 including rent). Upington is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Mexico City. 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: $432 in Upington versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in Upington versus $456 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 Upington – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Upington versus $1,677 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 49% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.