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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $462 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $728 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 217% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Al `arish is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$3.87 E£204

243.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$935

$14.03 E£738

283.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$164

$5.48 E£288

71.90%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.41 E£74.0

154.61%

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

$1.62 MX$28.23

$0.41 E£21.62

295.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.56

$0.15 E£7.82

646.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.5

$1.27 E£66.6

155.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.9

$1.94 E£102

139.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.47

$0.93 E£48.84

76.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.16

$0.47 E£24.59

463.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.10

$0.71 E£37.09

176.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.24

$1.49 E£78.3

70.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$1.98 E£104

403.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$146

$4.09 E£215

105.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$206

$8.27 E£435

43.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.79

$1.46 E£76.6

95.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.15

$0.60 E£31.43

188.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.62

$0.38 E£20.11

423.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.63

$0.40 E£20.85

412.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.77

$0.50 E£26.37

312.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.68

$0.53 E£27.71

330.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$0.29 E£15.45

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.90

$0.15 E£8.09

626.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$1.97 E£104

116.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$255

$4.29 E£226

241.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.45 E£76.0

21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$62.1

$1.65 E£87.0

116.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.17 E£9.01

123.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$0.31 E£16.46

348.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.28

$0.23 E£12.03

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$94.1

$1.93 E£101

180.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.30

$0.33 E£17.36

306.06%

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

$18.9K MX$327.8K

$30.1K E£1.6M

-37.30%

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

$23.2K MX$403.4K

$35.9K E£1.9M

-35.35%

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

$40.30 MX$701

$19.29 E£1,015

108.92%

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

$27.15 MX$472

$7.42 E£390

265.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$512

$10.77 E£567

173.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$917

$21.96 E£1,155

140.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$455

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.75 E£355

-8.44%

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

$441 MX$7,664

$97.2 E£5,114

353.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$2,652 E£139.5K

303.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$995

$17.46 E£918

227.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$783

$62.3 E£3,279

-27.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$83.5 E£4,392

23.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,891

$51.8 E£2,725

109.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$191 E£10.1K

422.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$99.0 E£5,209

538.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.2K

$309 E£16.3K

592.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.8K

$178 E£9,340

605.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$65.1K

$748 E£39.4K

400.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.4K

$397 E£20.9K

499.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.8K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $191 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $14 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 217% 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 $2,199 in Mexico City and $694 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $191 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,466 per month in Mexico City versus $462 in Al `arish – a 217% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $462 in Al `arish versus $1,466 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 $462 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 217% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.