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: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $427 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $688 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $949 in Al `arish.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 291% more expensive than in Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Al `arish is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$4.21 E£218

185.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$934

$14.27 E£738

270.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$4.68 E£242

149.79%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.4

$1.26 E£65.3

207.14%

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

$1.75 MX$30.94

$0.35 E£18.34

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.65

$0.14 E£7.16

892.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.4

$1.47 E£76.1

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$2.94 E£152

96.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$31.92

$0.90 E£46.54

101.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.5

$0.35 E£17.90

780.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.65

$0.63 E£32.44

238.10%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.6

$1.40 E£72.3

112.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$221

$2.40 E£124

422.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$181

$3.91 E£202

161.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$281

$8.42 E£435

89.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$59.8

$1.51 E£78.2

124.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.24

$0.63 E£32.34

234.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.59

$0.43 E£22.47

395.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.61

$0.35 E£18.16

605.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.03

$0.47 E£24.49

334.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.59

$0.47 E£24.10

327.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.15

$0.25 E£13.01

536.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.50

$0.18 E£9.37

638.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.0

$2.08 E£107

163.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$310

$4.88 E£252

259.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.61

$1.37 E£70.7

46.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.8

$1.68 E£87.1

182.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.94

$0.20 E£10.23

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.28

$0.41 E£21.30

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.75

$0.36 E£18.65

69.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$1.98 E£102

187.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.09

$0.46 E£23.63

245.65%

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

$22.9K MX$404.6K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-31.14%

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

$26.4K MX$466.2K

$28.1K E£1.5M

-6.00%

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

$64.2 MX$1,135

$16.86 E£872

281.02%

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

$29.42 MX$520

$7.68 E£397

283.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$651

$19.40 E£1,003

89.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,038

$17.69 E£915

232.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$4.23 E£219

64.30%

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

$463 MX$8,180

$93.2 E£4,818

396.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$236.2K

$2,534 E£131.1K

427.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,333

$16.54 E£855

356.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$958

$59.4 E£3,073

-8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,965

$82.8 E£4,281

34.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,160

$49.90 E£2,581

144.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.0K

$130 E£6,706

773.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.3K

$76.0 E£3,930

818.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.2K

$254 E£13.1K

861.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.0K

$148 E£7,662

779.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.1K

$773 E£40.0K

405.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.6K

$415 E£21.4K

399.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-43.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: September 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $130 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 $343 vs $113 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 291% 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 $2,502 in Mexico City and $640 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: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $130 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 204% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,668 per month in Mexico City versus $427 in Al `arish – a 291% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $427 in Al `arish versus $1,668 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 $427 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 291% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.