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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $455 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $729 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,004 in Al `arish.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 223% more expensive than in Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Al `arish is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.98 E£200

230.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$13.71 E£690

290.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.38 E£271

73.42%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.46 E£73.5

153.42%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.39 E£19.59

310.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.13 E£6.38

761.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.27 E£63.8

147.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.94 E£97.8

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.97 E£49.00

70.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.51 E£25.83

431.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.77 E£38.49

148.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.49 E£75.1

73.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$2.06 E£103

376.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.17 E£210

102.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$8.19 E£412

45.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.41 E£70.9

109.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.56 E£28.06

210.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.36 E£17.90

466.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.40 E£20.03

415.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.50 E£25.03

330.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.50 E£25.13

352.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.27 E£13.39

414.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.18 E£9.01

522.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.88 E£94.8

124.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$4.33 E£218

304.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.40 E£70.5

22.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.72 E£86.6

111.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.18 E£9.15

94.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.29 E£14.54

375.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.25 E£12.65

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$1.96 E£98.8

169.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.33 E£16.72

312.12%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$31.1K E£1.6M

-38.57%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$36.7K E£1.8M

-35.60%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$19.44 E£978

108.49%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$7.34 E£369

273.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$10.74 E£540

182.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$22.66 E£1,140

130.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.81 E£342

-9.10%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$94.7 E£4,765

348.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$2,649 E£133.3K

305.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$16.88 E£849

245.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$61.6 E£3,096

-27.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$85.0 E£4,277

21.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$51.2 E£2,577

112.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$187 E£9,427

441.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$101 E£5,084

516.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$305 E£15.4K

594.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$178 E£8,969

586.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$792 E£39.9K

378.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$441 E£22.2K

378.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $187 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 223% 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 $2,208 in Mexico City and $683 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $187 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $455 in Al `arish – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $455 in Al `arish versus $1,472 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 $455 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 223% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.