Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Faiyum Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Faiyum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $435 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $732 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,028 in El Faiyum.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 237% more expensive than El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, El Faiyum is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.31 E£120

470.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$13.75 E£712

292.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.70 E£243

100.43%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.24 E£64.2

186.29%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.31 E£16.30

422.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.10 E£5.06

1010.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.16 E£60.2

168.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$3.02 E£157

53.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$0.72 E£37.20

136.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$0.78 E£40.39

248.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$0.66 E£34.02

189.39%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$1.19 E£61.8

113.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$2.95 E£153

240.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.46 E£231

81.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.21 E£425

41.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.49 E£77.3

99.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$0.54 E£27.94

235.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$0.43 E£22.05

367.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$0.36 E£18.78

463.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$0.38 E£19.59

457.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.43 E£22.21

427.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.24 E£12.45

483.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.17 E£8.73

564.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$2.02 E£104

111.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.66 E£293

174.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.34 E£69.4

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.29 E£119

57.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.06 E£2.89

533.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$6.09 E£316

214.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.42 E£21.95

228.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.29 E£14.89

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$0.94 E£48.90

479.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$0.33 E£17.34

293.94%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-47.60%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-29.90%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$11.20 E£580

264.82%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$5.75 E£297

366.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$9.96 E£515

200.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$25.46 E£1,318

104.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$25.58 E£1,324

4.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.39 E£124

163.60%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$25.66 E£1,328

1599.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$879 E£45.5K

1084.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$27.77 E£1,438

104.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$44.38 E£2,298

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$107 E£5,552

-4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$47.03 E£2,435

124.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$188 E£9,732

443.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$85.5 E£4,424

638.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$327 E£17.0K

552.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$185 E£9,574

572.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$411 E£21.3K

848.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$201 E£10.4K

926.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$70.6 E£3,654

1480.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

89.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $188 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1480% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $120 per month, with El Faiyum cheaper across the board.

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 El Faiyum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Faiyum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 237% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 1480% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $188 in El Faiyum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in El Faiyum runs roughly 215% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $25.66 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $435 in El Faiyum versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Faiyum but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes El Faiyum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Faiyum is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and El Faiyum are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find El Faiyum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.