Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,677 per month in Mexico City vs $666 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,045 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,540 per month in Mexico City vs $1,425 in Cairo, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 152% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 22% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.92 E£253

146.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$29.75 E£1,528

81.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.98 E£307

85.45%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$1.80 E£92.4

127.78%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$0.35 E£18.10

380.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$0.13 E£6.80

969.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$1.49 E£76.3

123.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$2.33 E£120

152.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$0.99 E£51.0

86.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$0.81 E£41.83

291.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$0.73 E£37.31

183.56%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$1.21 E£62.1

142.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$4.33 E£223

190.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.16 E£265

95.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.35 E£480

72.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$1.81 E£92.8

87.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$0.79 E£40.67

163.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$0.61 E£31.39

247.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$0.54 E£27.49

346.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$0.39 E£20.02

446.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$0.42 E£21.54

378.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.34 E£17.34

355.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$0.24 E£12.35

466.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$2.10 E£108

174.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.91 E£406

124.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$1.61 E£82.7

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$2.15 E£111

114.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.34 E£17.42

8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

$7.76 E£398

172.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$0.37 E£19.19

454.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$0.22 E£11.10

163.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$1.60 E£82.1

279.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$0.46 E£23.70

236.96%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$34.3K E£1.8M

-33.35%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$28.6K E£1.5M

-4.92%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$27.11 E£1,392

148.65%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$8.38 E£430

265.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$13.70 E£704

171.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$25.48 E£1,309

141.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

$6.81 E£350

298.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.17 E£214

70.50%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$111 E£5,717

309.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$3,425 E£175.9K

299.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$44.85 E£2,303

65.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$47.37 E£2,433

20.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$116 E£5,980

-0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$61.7 E£3,167

97.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$215 E£11.1K

432.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$201 E£10.3K

252.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$524 E£26.9K

392.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$347 E£17.8K

273.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$801 E£41.2K

399.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$515 E£26.4K

313.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$211 E£10.8K

413.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

16.21

-30.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cairo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,148 in Mexico City versus $215 in Cairo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 414% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $30.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $146 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 152%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,515 per month in Mexico City and $999 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 136% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $30.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $666, than in Mexico City at $1,677. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.