Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Byblos

For one person, living is cheaper in Byblos: $1,007 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Byblos, Lebanon
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Byblos
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,007
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Byblos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Byblos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,007 in Byblos.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Byblos $1,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,618 in Byblos.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Byblos $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,229 in Byblos.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Byblos $2,229

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Byblos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Byblos is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$9.05 LBP 809.9K
17.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$908
$42.63 LBP 3.8M
13.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$6.97 LBP 623.5K
48.49%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.3
$2.92 LBP 261.5K
26.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.29
$0.98 LBP 87.5K
70.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.76
$0.98 LBP 87.8K
29.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.9
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.6
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.38
$1.21 LBP 108.1K
42.15%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$0.63 LBP 56.3K
382.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.44
$1.61 LBP 143.9K
20.50%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.2
$2.14 LBP 191.7K
35.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$8.96 LBP 801.6K
22.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$8.26 LBP 739.4K
11.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$11.94 LBP 1.1M
26.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.2
$3.02 LBP 270.4K
0.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.45
$1.97 LBP 176.6K
-1.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.02
$1.02 LBP 91.5K
99.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.46
$1.95 LBP 174.3K
18.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.21
$1.02 LBP 91.7K
100.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.79
$0.99 LBP 88.3K
81.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.77
$0.97 LBP 87.0K
52.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.80
$0.97 LBP 86.9K
30.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.6
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$3.91 LBP 350.3K
311.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.23
$1.55 LBP 138.5K
27.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.8
$1.95 LBP 174.1K
117.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$0.99 LBP 88.3K
-68.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.50
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.02
$1.02 LBP 90.9K
-48.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.4
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.36
$0.92 LBP 82.5K
64.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.4K
$22.1K LBP 2.0B
-1.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.3K
$22.5K LBP 2.0B
6.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,182
$99.8 LBP 8.9M
-36.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$514
$22.87 LBP 2.0M
19.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$24.64 LBP 2.2M
44.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,107
$37.05 LBP 3.3M
59.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
$40.44 LBP 3.6M
-41.54%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$9.86 LBP 882.3K
-35.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,103
$398 LBP 35.6M
8.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.5K
$2,941 LBP 263.2M
288.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,281
$101 LBP 9.0M
-32.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$997
$100 LBP 9.0M
-47.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,023
$122 LBP 10.9M
-11.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,202
$149 LBP 13.3M
-21.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$300 LBP 26.9M
270.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$227 LBP 20.3M
213.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$805 LBP 72.0M
221.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$406 LBP 36.4M
246.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$1,354 LBP 121.2M
168.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$827 LBP 74.0M
158.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Byblos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$1,017 LBP 91.0M
-6.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
8
41.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Byblos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Byblos
$227 68.1% $484
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Byblos
$218 31.7% $101
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Byblos
$136 * 31.4% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Byblos
$213 36.3% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Byblos
$147 16.9% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Byblos
$57 20.9% $15
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Byblos
$9 * 64.6% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $300 in Byblos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $43 in Byblos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $218 per month, with Byblos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇱🇧 Byblos
🕒 Local time
16:14 4:14 PM
00:14 12:14 AM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
20,784
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Byblos 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Byblos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Byblos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Byblos cheaper than Mexico City?
Byblos is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mexico City or Byblos?
On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and Byblos?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $300 in Byblos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $398 in Byblos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Byblos?
Dining out is cheaper in Byblos – a meal for two runs $43 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Byblos?
At $1,007 in Byblos versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Byblos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Byblos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in Byblos?
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.

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