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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,197 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,735 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,273 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 23% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Al Muharraq is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$4.04 BHD 1.52

225.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$26.36 BHD 9.94

103.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$5.28 BHD 1.99

76.70%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$4.08 BHD 1.54

-9.31%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.86 BHD 0.32

86.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.39 BHD 0.15

187.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$5.34 BHD 2.01

-41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$7.92 BHD 2.99

-38.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.30 BHD 0.49

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$0.55 BHD 0.21

392.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-16.96%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.35 BHD 0.89

10.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$4.62 BHD 1.74

112.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.07 BHD 1.91

66.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$7.92 BHD 2.99

50.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$1.17 BHD 0.44

152.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$1.68 BHD 0.63

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$1.10 BHD 0.41

85.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.20 BHD 0.45

71.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$0.78 BHD 0.29

175.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$0.53 BHD 0.20

326.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.22 BHD 0.46

13.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.55 BHD 0.21

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$5.43 BHD 2.05

-22.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$18.79 BHD 7.08

-6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$3.35 BHD 1.26

-48.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$3.30 BHD 1.24

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.82 BHD 0.31

-57.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$4.51 BHD 1.70

-69.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$2.71 BHD 1.02

-89.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$5.20 BHD 1.96

1.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$0.46 BHD 0.17

195.65%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$37.3K BHD 14.1K

-48.85%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$15.8K BHD 5,949

49.61%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$107 BHD 40.43

-62.20%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$21.12 BHD 7.96

29.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$38.14 BHD 14.38

-20.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$53.5 BHD 20.17

-2.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$7.12 BHD 2.68

-13.06%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$386 BHD 146

10.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$5,901 BHD 2,225

81.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$26.07 BHD 9.83

123.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$64.0 BHD 24.13

-30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$84.3 BHD 31.79

22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$88.4 BHD 33.34

22.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$627 BHD 236

61.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$503 BHD 190

23.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$954 BHD 360

122.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$780 BHD 294

56.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$1,986 BHD 749

90.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$1,603 BHD 604

31.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$1,542 BHD 582

-31.79%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $627 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,197 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Al Muharraq. 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $627 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% 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 $1,197 in Al Muharraq – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,197 in Al Muharraq versus $1,472 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 23% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.