Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Faiyum

For one person, living is cheaper in El Faiyum: $381 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
El Faiyum, Egypt
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
El Faiyum
🇪🇬 Egypt
$381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in El Faiyum

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $381 in El Faiyum.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • El Faiyum $381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $597 in El Faiyum.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • El Faiyum $597

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $813 in El Faiyum.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • El Faiyum $813

Living in Mexico City is roughly 339% more expensive than in El Faiyum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, El Faiyum is 72% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$199
$2.20 E£122
381.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$978
$12.51 E£691
315.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$202
$3.17 E£175
238.49%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$71.4
$1.20 E£66.2
216.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.35
$0.28 E£15.59
475.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.81
$0.08 E£4.65
1412.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.8
$0.91 E£50.3
249.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$102
$2.22 E£122
145.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.32
$0.67 E£37.08
156.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.8
$0.75 E£41.53
296.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$36.24
$0.54 E£29.96
257.41%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$52.2
$1.08 E£59.5
156.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$220
$2.95 E£163
295.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$178
$3.46 E£191
173.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$289
$5.67 E£314
171.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$58.4
$0.74 E£41.02
318.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.90
$0.44 E£24.36
345.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$37.30
$0.30 E£16.83
560.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.95
$0.31 E£17.22
654.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.08
$0.24 E£13.18
741.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.34
$0.28 E£15.45
550.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$29.06
$0.25 E£13.89
516.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.70
$0.21 E£11.37
523.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$101
$1.42 E£78.5
276.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$305
$2.20 E£122
635.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.87
$1.15 E£63.4
70.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.9
$1.49 E£82.2
191.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.74
$0.05 E£2.77
500.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$367
$5.53 E£306
252.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$36.08
$0.38 E£20.73
405.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.90
$0.17 E£9.20
176.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$102
$0.94 E£51.7
475.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.92
$0.38 E£21.15
289.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$402.2K
$26.6K E£1.5M
-19.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$447.1K
$23.9K E£1.3M
-0.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,167
$14.38 E£795
331.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$536
$4.89 E£270
482.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$642
$8.77 E£485
288.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,099
$5.29 E£293
1003.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$461
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$124
$2.20 E£122
199.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,172
$22.22 E£1,228
1854.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$264.1K
$1,072 E£59.2K
1209.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,286
$31.61 E£1,747
116.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,031
$40.05 E£2,213
36.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,086
$113 E£6,226
-1.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,183
$35.61 E£1,968
225.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$22.2K
$181 E£9,977
553.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.5K
$94.5 E£5,223
715.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$48.4K
$244 E£13.5K
954.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.7K
$152 E£8,378
836.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$67.5K
$535 E£29.6K
570.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.8K
$286 E£15.8K
622.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
El Faiyum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.9K
$71.5 E£3,949
1303.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
22
-48.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
El Faiyum
$95 87.7% $676
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
El Faiyum
$91 71.9% $233
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
El Faiyum
$52 74.1% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
El Faiyum
$99 37.2% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
El Faiyum
$28 77.5% $97
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
El Faiyum
$9.7 86.5% $62
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
El Faiyum
$6.9 72.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $181 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 14 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $13 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $91 per month, with El Faiyum cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇪🇬 El Faiyum
🕒 Local time
19:41 7:41 PM
03:41 3:41 AM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
306,393
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 55.26 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.8 EGP (100 EGP = 1.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City El Faiyum 12,390 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • El Faiyum

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 El Faiyum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Faiyum cheaper than Mexico City?
El Faiyum is about 77% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mexico City or El Faiyum?
Average pay in Mexico City is about 14 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and El Faiyum?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $181 in El Faiyum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in El Faiyum runs roughly 72% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $22 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in El Faiyum?
At $381 in El Faiyum versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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.
Is it better to live in Mexico City or in El Faiyum?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find El Faiyum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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