Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al Muharraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Al Muharraq

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,221 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,763 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,304 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 21% more expensive than Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Al Muharraq is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.92 BHD 1.48

231.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$26.93 BHD 10.12

97.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.25 BHD 1.97

85.14%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$4.01 BHD 1.51

-6.48%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.81 BHD 0.30

93.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.39 BHD 0.15

189.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$5.45 BHD 2.05

-41.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$7.85 BHD 2.95

-40.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.29 BHD 0.49

25.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.54 BHD 0.20

401.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.34 BHD 0.88

-19.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.33 BHD 0.88

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$4.53 BHD 1.70

122.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.28 BHD 1.99

57.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.89 BHD 2.97

51.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.16 BHD 0.44

146.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.63 BHD 0.61

7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.05 BHD 0.40

98.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.18 BHD 0.44

66.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.77 BHD 0.29

180.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.53 BHD 0.20

311.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.22 BHD 0.46

13.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.54 BHD 0.20

107.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.42 BHD 2.04

-22.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$18.69 BHD 7.03

-23.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$3.34 BHD 1.26

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.27 BHD 1.23

12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.82 BHD 0.31

-52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$4.53 BHD 1.70

-69.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$2.68 BHD 1.01

-88.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$5.15 BHD 1.94

5.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.47 BHD 0.18

187.23%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$37.3K BHD 14.0K

-49.41%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$15.7K BHD 5,910

47.29%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$108 BHD 40.52

-62.12%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$21.38 BHD 8.04

28.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$38.88 BHD 14.62

-21.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$52.6 BHD 19.76

1.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$7.16 BHD 2.69

-12.43%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$387 BHD 145

12.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$6,024 BHD 2,265

73.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$26.47 BHD 9.95

114.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$63.5 BHD 23.88

-29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$83.6 BHD 31.45

22.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$89.6 BHD 33.70

20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$625 BHD 235

59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$508 BHD 191

22.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$954 BHD 359

124.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$787 BHD 296

56.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,958 BHD 736

97.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,559 BHD 586

49.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,549 BHD 582

-31.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.56

32.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $625 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $202 per month, with Al Muharraq 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 Muharraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Al Muharraq differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,221 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Al Muharraq earns 45% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $625 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $1,221 in Al Muharraq – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,221 in Al Muharraq versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Muharraq but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Al Muharraq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al Muharraq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.