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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $344 in Ismailia versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $582 in Ismailia versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $819 in Ismailia versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Ismailia costs roughly 77% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ismailia is 74% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 E£186

$13.18 MX$228

-72.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.66 E£813

$53.9 MX$934

-70.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.50 E£234

$9.42 MX$163

-52.23%

Cappuccino

$0.95 E£49.38

$3.55 MX$61.5

-73.24%

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

$0.27 E£13.84

$1.62 MX$28.03

-83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 E£5.62

$1.11 MX$19.31

-90.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 E£62.3

$3.12 MX$54.1

-61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 E£102

$4.63 MX$80.2

-57.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 E£44.28

$1.70 MX$29.48

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 E£21.35

$2.72 MX$47.10

-84.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 E£34.11

$1.91 MX$33.13

-65.45%

Eggs

$1.40 E£72.5

$2.54 MX$43.94

-44.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.01 E£156

$10.03 MX$174

-69.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 E£193

$8.09 MX$140

-54.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 E£404

$11.62 MX$201

-33.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 E£76.0

$2.97 MX$51.4

-50.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 E£28.01

$1.81 MX$31.30

-70.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.36

$2.01 MX$34.88

-79.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.29 E£14.90

$2.03 MX$35.26

-85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 E£19.45

$2.12 MX$36.82

-82.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.39

$2.27 MX$39.32

-81.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.19 E£9.75

$1.40 MX$24.26

-86.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 E£8.61

$1.13 MX$19.59

-84.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 E£84.6

$4.27 MX$74.0

-61.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 E£303

$15.56 MX$270

-62.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 E£53.1

$1.76 MX$30.44

-42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 E£101

$3.60 MX$62.3

-45.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 E£12.93

$0.38 MX$6.64

-34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.04 E£210

$19.18 MX$332

-78.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 E£17.19

$1.38 MX$23.84

-76.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 E£23.58

$0.28 MX$4.79

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 E£101

$5.45 MX$94.4

-64.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 E£17.32

$1.30 MX$22.60

-74.62%

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

$30.1K E£1.6M

$18.7K MX$323.8K

61.06%

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

$16.1K E£835.7K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-30.38%

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

$11.33 E£588

$40.86 MX$708

-72.27%

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

$5.68 E£295

$26.81 MX$465

-78.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.72 E£401

$29.96 MX$519

-74.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.67 E£606

$52.0 MX$901

-77.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.66 E£1,020

$26.84 MX$465

-26.75%

Cinema Ticket

$2.01 E£104

$6.30 MX$109

-68.10%

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

$86.9 E£4,509

$436 MX$7,558

-80.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,214 E£63.0K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-88.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.65 E£657

$56.7 MX$982

-77.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.12 E£525

$44.38 MX$769

-77.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,537

$103 MX$1,784

3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.96 E£2,593

$106 MX$1,829

-52.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 E£4,653

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-91.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$39.40 E£2,045

$631 MX$10.9K

-93.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 E£7,384

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-93.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.5 E£4,591

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-92.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$485 E£25.2K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-87.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$133 E£6,897

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-93.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$107 E£5,570

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-90.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

49.91%

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

Last update for Ismailia: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $89.7 in Ismailia and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 939% 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: $16.00 in Ismailia vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $111 vs $288 per month, with Ismailia 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

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

Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 326% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mexico City earns 939% 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: $89.7 in Ismailia versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $86.9 in Ismailia versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Ismailia versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ismailia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $344 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ismailia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 326% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.