Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $611 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
Learn more

Cairo Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $611 in Cairo, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Cairo $611

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $970 in Cairo, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Cairo $970

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,329 in Cairo, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Cairo $1,329

Mexico City costs about 163% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Cairo is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$4.51 E£252

135.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$907

$27.00 E£1,511

79.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$5.34 E£299

93.82%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

$1.72 E£96.0

114.53%

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

$1.67 MX$31.25

$0.34 E£19.06

391.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.73

$0.14 E£8.08

807.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$1.39 E£77.8

129.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

$2.15 E£120

146.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.34

$0.87 E£48.56

97.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$0.76 E£42.45

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.40

$0.63 E£35.10

207.94%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$1.09 E£60.9

165.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$3.74 E£209

193.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$4.61 E£258

100.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$8.42 E£471

79.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$1.69 E£94.4

80.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.40

$0.68 E£38.19

185.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.98

$0.56 E£31.12

262.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.40

$0.47 E£26.17

391.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.16

$0.38 E£21.53

436.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.75

$0.39 E£21.81

361.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.74

$0.33 E£18.73

348.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.77

$0.22 E£12.32

477.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$1.85 E£104

186.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$7.24 E£405

122.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.19

$1.42 E£79.3

39.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$1.98 E£111

114.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

$0.31 E£17.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

$7.17 E£401

175.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.45

$0.35 E£19.46

425.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

$0.19 E£10.87

178.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.3

$1.46 E£81.5

263.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.32

$0.40 E£22.36

277.50%

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

$21.8K MX$407.9K

$32.3K E£1.8M

-32.68%

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

$24.0K MX$449.7K

$24.9K E£1.4M

-3.49%

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

$63.0 MX$1,181

$26.70 E£1,494

135.88%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$7.51 E£420

264.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$669

$14.02 E£785

154.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$27.01 E£1,511

118.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

$7.15 E£400

230.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$4.41 E£247

45.12%

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

$432 MX$8,092

$117 E£6,524

270.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.2K

$3,269 E£182.9K

249.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,279

$37.71 E£2,110

80.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

$47.61 E£2,664

11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,021

$109 E£6,108

-1.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,199

$55.6 E£3,113

110.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$203 E£11.4K

447.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$188 E£10.5K

278.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

$524 E£29.3K

393.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$318 E£17.8K

342.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.1K

$793 E£44.4K

357.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

$484 E£27.1K

341.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$185 E£10.3K

412.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

16.21

-29.98%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Cairo

$188 30.7% 73.6% $523

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Cairo

$131 21.5% 58.9% $188

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Cairo

$86 14.1% 56.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Cairo

$113 18.4% 27.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Cairo

$48 7.9% 61.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Cairo

$36 5.9% 50.1% $36

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Cairo

$9.7 1.6% 61.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $203 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 in Mexico City are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $27 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $131 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

23:21 11:21 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

100 EGP = 1.79 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.75 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.95 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.35 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Cairo 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Cairo

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 144% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $27 in Cairo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $611, than in Mexico City at $1,608. 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.