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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,077 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,603 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,129 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 56% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Al Muharraq is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$2.57 BHD 0.97

372.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$26.31 BHD 9.92

104.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.88 BHD 2.22

88.61%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.87 BHD 1.46

5.94%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.82 BHD 0.31

104.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.32 BHD 0.12

334.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$6.70 BHD 2.52

-50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$6.78 BHD 2.55

-13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.31 BHD 0.49

41.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.06 BHD 0.40

199.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.35 BHD 0.88

-11.91%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.23 BHD 0.84

31.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$3.60 BHD 1.36

249.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.86 BHD 1.83

108.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$8.68 BHD 3.27

85.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.08 BHD 0.41

213.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.89 BHD 0.71

10.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.04 BHD 0.39

103.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.45 BHD 0.55

66.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.00 BHD 0.38

113.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.51 BHD 0.19

294.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.50 BHD 0.19

210.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.51 BHD 0.19

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$5.39 BHD 2.03

7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$18.90 BHD 7.12

-6.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$3.65 BHD 1.38

-43.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.68 BHD 1.01

72.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$5.19 BHD 1.96

-60.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.36 BHD 0.51

-57.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.32 BHD 2.00

14.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.51 BHD 0.19

203.92%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$37.2K BHD 14.0K

-38.59%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$20.1K BHD 7,582

35.38%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$154 BHD 58.0

-56.23%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$20.94 BHD 7.89

46.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$34.50 BHD 13.00

7.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$10.54 BHD 3.97

-32.54%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$496 BHD 187

-7.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$11.0K BHD 4,132

24.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$51.7 BHD 19.47

43.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$57.0 BHD 21.50

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$88.4 BHD 33.33

30.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$90.5 BHD 34.11

34.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$460 BHD 173

149.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$365 BHD 138

94.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,014 BHD 382

154.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$725 BHD 273

78.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,997 BHD 753

100.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,592 BHD 600

33.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$1,763 BHD 664

-38.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.21

81.96%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $460 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 63% 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 $345 vs $205 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 56% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,077 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $460 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,077 in Al Muharraq – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,077 in Al Muharraq versus $1,677 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 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.