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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $523 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $843 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $1,163 in Cairo, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 181% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while Cairo is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.03 E£209

227.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$19.82 E£1,026

171.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.88 E£253

93.03%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.50 E£77.5

136.67%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.37 E£18.92

337.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.13 E£6.87

753.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.42 E£73.3

119.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$2.82 E£146

64.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$0.93 E£48.14

82.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$0.59 E£30.44

361.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$0.74 E£38.49

158.11%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$1.54 E£79.9

64.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$3.31 E£171

203.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.34 E£225

86.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.42 E£436

38.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.56 E£80.9

90.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$0.56 E£29.02

223.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$0.47 E£24.20

327.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$0.39 E£20.19

420.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$0.46 E£23.94

360.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.40 E£20.91

467.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.22 E£11.32

536.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.23 E£11.70

391.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$2.02 E£105

111.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.86 E£407

97.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.26 E£65.3

39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$1.77 E£91.6

103.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.29 E£14.85

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$5.97 E£309

221.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.38 E£19.79

263.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.29 E£14.93

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$1.02 E£52.6

434.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$0.31 E£15.80

319.35%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$36.1K E£1.9M

-48.18%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$30.7K E£1.6M

-24.57%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$26.21 E£1,357

55.89%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$8.42 E£436

218.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$12.30 E£637

143.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$16.02 E£829

224.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$6.80 E£352

294.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.51 E£182

79.49%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$91.9 E£4,758

374.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$1,993 E£103.2K

422.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$31.43 E£1,627

80.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$44.87 E£2,323

-1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$107 E£5,548

-3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$57.5 E£2,978

83.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$205 E£10.6K

399.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$130 E£6,754

383.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$424 E£21.9K

404.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$250 E£12.9K

397.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$843 E£43.6K

363.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$483 E£25.0K

327.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$196 E£10.1K

469.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

16.67

-31.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cairo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $205 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 470% 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 $20.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $128 – 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 181%, 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 $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $784 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 126% 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 $20.00 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 $523, than in Mexico City at $1,467. 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.