Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $635 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$635

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cairo and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $635 per month in Cairo vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cairo $635
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $1,010 per month in Cairo vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cairo $1,010
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $1,385 per month in Cairo vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cairo $1,385
Mexico City $3,323

Cairo is about 59% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 53% below the global median, while Mexico City is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 E£247

$11.02 MX$204

-57.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.66 E£1,477

$48.68 MX$900

-43.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.83 E£311

$10.90 MX$201

-46.51%

Cappuccino

$1.69 E£90.1

$3.68 MX$68.1

-54.08%

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

$0.35 E£18.79

$1.63 MX$30.18

-78.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.86

$1.25 MX$23.07

-89.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 E£78.3

$3.25 MX$60.1

-54.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 E£118

$5.53 MX$102

-60.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 E£50.5

$1.70 MX$31.50

-44.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 E£41.96

$3.02 MX$55.8

-73.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 E£37.41

$1.92 MX$35.53

-63.54%

Eggs

$1.12 E£59.5

$2.73 MX$50.5

-58.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.08 E£218

$11.77 MX$218

-65.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 E£255

$9.53 MX$176

-49.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 E£470

$14.41 MX$266

-38.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 E£89.7

$3.02 MX$55.8

-44.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 E£38.07

$1.89 MX$35.01

-62.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.59 E£31.31

$1.99 MX$36.70

-70.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£27.06

$2.19 MX$40.38

-76.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 E£19.81

$1.92 MX$35.43

-80.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 E£23.47

$1.87 MX$34.49

-76.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 E£18.37

$1.44 MX$26.62

-76.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.16

$1.27 MX$23.39

-83.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£106

$5.22 MX$96.4

-61.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 E£400

$16.17 MX$299

-53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 E£80.4

$1.90 MX$35.03

-20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 E£111

$4.22 MX$78.0

-50.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 E£18.29

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.31 E£444

$19.65 MX$363

-57.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 E£21.48

$2.00 MX$36.90

-80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 E£9.99

$0.52 MX$9.67

-63.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 E£80.0

$5.34 MX$98.7

-71.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.45 E£23.77

$1.52 MX$28.13

-70.39%

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

$33.1K E£1.8M

$22.1K MX$408.0K

50.00%

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

$26.1K E£1.4M

$24.5K MX$452.9K

6.67%

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

$27.62 E£1,475

$61.1 MX$1,129

-54.77%

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

$7.83 E£418

$28.58 MX$528

-72.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.39 E£769

$34.47 MX$637

-58.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.62 E£1,528

$56.4 MX$1,042

-49.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 E£399

$24.88 MX$460

-69.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 E£244

$6.66 MX$123

-31.53%

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

$120 E£6,417

$427 MX$7,891

-71.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,476 E£185.6K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

-70.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.13 E£2,090

$67.8 MX$1,253

-42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.04 E£2,619

$52.0 MX$960

-5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 E£5,934

$106 MX$1,959

4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 E£3,043

$113 MX$2,080

-49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 E£11.5K

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-78.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 E£10.5K

$654 MX$12.1K

-70.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 E£28.9K

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-76.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 E£18.0K

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-72.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$830 E£44.3K

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-77.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$512 E£27.3K

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-73.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$195 E£10.4K

$964 MX$17.8K

-79.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

11.3

43.45%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$196 30.8%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 234% $458

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$137 21.6%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 132% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$115 18.2%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 32% $37

Eating Out

Cairo

$88 13.9%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 131% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.8%

Mexico City

$124 8% 149% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$38 5.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 84.7% $32

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 133% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Cairo versus $1,025 in Mexico City. 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 395% higher in Mexico City, 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 $28.00 in Cairo versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $137 vs $318 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

21:51 9:51 PM

9 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Mexico City 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 144%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $953 per month in Cairo and $2,322 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 132% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $49.00 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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