Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al `arish Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al `arish

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $466 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $729 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 211% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Al `arish is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.06 E£208

219.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$13.87 E£708

279.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.37 E£274

75.61%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.45 E£74.2

146.21%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.42 E£21.28

283.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.12 E£6.28

858.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.30 E£66.4

142.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$1.93 E£98.4

151.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.97 E£49.79

75.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.47 E£23.89

461.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$0.72 E£36.71

163.89%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.57 E£80.0

61.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$1.96 E£100

414.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.16 E£213

99.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$8.30 E£424

39.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.45 E£74.2

108.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$0.60 E£30.75

185.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$0.38 E£19.49

439.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$0.37 E£18.84

456.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.50 E£25.67

312.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.50 E£25.49

334.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.27 E£13.72

418.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.17 E£8.59

558.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$1.89 E£96.7

126.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$4.27 E£218

260.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.47 E£75.1

13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.64 E£83.9

125.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.16 E£8.32

137.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.31 E£15.87

345.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.23 E£11.74

21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$1.96 E£99.9

176.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.33 E£17.08

287.88%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$30.8K E£1.6M

-38.28%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$36.2K E£1.9M

-35.26%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$19.68 E£1,005

108.43%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$7.27 E£371

270.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$10.63 E£543

179.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$22.07 E£1,127

137.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.87 E£351

-10.04%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$97.0 E£4,954

340.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$2,599 E£132.7K

311.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$16.96 E£866

235.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$62.0 E£3,166

-27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$83.3 E£4,252

25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$50.3 E£2,567

110.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$192 E£9,793

418.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$101 E£5,136

517.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$304 E£15.5K

598.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$178 E£9,114

602.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$871 E£44.5K

347.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$462 E£23.6K

353.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

23.33

-51.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $192 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $114 per month, with Al `arish 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

Mexico City vs Al `arish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 211% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $698 in Al `arish to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $192 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 152% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,447 per month in Mexico City versus $466 in Al `arish – a 211% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $466 in Al `arish versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al `arish but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al `arish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al `arish delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $466 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al `arish hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Al `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.