Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $172 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $172 in Derna, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Derna $172

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $335 in Derna, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Derna $335

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $497 in Derna, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Derna $497

Mexico City costs about 800% more than Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Derna is 87% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$3.80 LYD 24.32

190.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$7.73 LYD 49.56

529.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$3.20 LYD 20.50

240.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 LYD 4.06

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$0.48 LYD 3.09

666.67%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.32 LYD 2.08

409.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.74 LYD 4.77

129.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.34 LYD 15.00

-17.95%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$0.89 LYD 5.71

206.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$3.08 LYD 19.74

209.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$0.75 LYD 4.79

152.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$0.94 LYD 6.02

111.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.82 LYD 5.24

143.90%

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

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

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$14.18 LYD 90.9

143.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$31.15 LYD 200

117.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$38.11 LYD 244

36.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$38.50 LYD 247

175.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$38.94 LYD 250

189.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$157 LYD 1,009

1366.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$94.3 LYD 604

1217.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$191 LYD 1,224

1792.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$76.9 LYD 493

2416.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$169 LYD 1,084

470.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

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 $49.00 in Mexico City versus $8.00 in Derna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $44.00 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

19:45 7:45 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Derna 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Derna

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 800% more than Derna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $258 in Derna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $172 in Derna. That's a gap of about 800%.

Groceries cost about 623% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $172, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Derna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Derna costs $172 versus $1,548 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Derna. 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.