Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Dahab

For one person, living is cheaper in Dahab: $443 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Dahab
🇪🇬 Egypt
$443
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $443 in Dahab, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Dahab $443

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $735 in Dahab, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Dahab $735

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $1,026 in Dahab, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Dahab $1,026

Mexico City costs about 250% more than Dahab, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Dahab is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$3.67 E£196
200.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$12.95 E£691
275.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$4.53 E£242
140.62%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$1.54 E£82.3
138.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$0.44 E£23.36
270.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$0.26 E£14.01
380.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$1.82 E£97.0
78.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$2.37 E£127
133.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$0.93 E£49.81
82.80%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.09 E£58.0
177.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$0.73 E£39.12
163.01%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$1.31 E£70.0
108.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$10.18 E£544
15.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$3.81 E£203
150.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$10.21 E£545
41.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$2.28 E£122
32.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.47 E£78.4
28.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$0.62 E£33.08
220.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$0.58 E£30.73
277.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$0.54 E£28.74
255.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$0.53 E£28.50
252.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$0.80 E£42.70
80.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$0.21 E£10.96
504.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$1.50 E£79.9
248.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$6.45 E£344
150.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$1.59 E£85.1
19.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$0.18 E£9.72
88.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
$7.37 E£394
166.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$0.73 E£38.83
173.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$0.42 E£22.62
261.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$17.34 E£926
252.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$6.42 E£343
345.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$17.43 E£931
97.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$14.98 E£800
276.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
$9.05 E£483
174.92%
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$4.73 E£253
40.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$186 E£9,942
450.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$127 E£6,771
416.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$511 E£27.3K
351.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$305 E£16.3K
307.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Dahab
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
$130 E£6,921
643.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
0
-

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Dahab: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Dahab
$127 80.6% $527
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Dahab
$163 * 48.6% $155
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Dahab
$78 61.7% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Dahab
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Dahab
$41 66.8% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Dahab
$24 64.9% $45
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Dahab
$8.8 * 65.5% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $186 in Dahab. 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 644% 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 $49.00 in Mexico City versus $13.00 in Dahab. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $163 – making Dahab the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇪🇬 Dahab
🕒 Local time
11:00 11:00 AM
20:00 8:00 PM
9 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
12,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Dahab 12,720 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Dahab

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 Dahab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dahab cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 250%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $664 in Dahab. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dahab, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Mexico City and in Dahab?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $443 in Dahab. That's a gap of about 250%.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in Dahab?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $13.00 in Dahab. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Dahab?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dahab, where all-in costs run around $443, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Dahab it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mexico City or Dahab more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Dahab – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Mexico City or Dahab?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Dahab. 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.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?