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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $441 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $724 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,007 in El Faiyum.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 236% more expensive than in El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, El Faiyum is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$2.35 E£120

460.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$933

$13.84 E£706

287.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$4.74 E£242

101.48%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$1.20 E£61.4

210.00%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$0.31 E£16.02

406.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.12 E£6.27

866.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$1.21 E£61.6

162.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$2.88 E£147

60.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.68

$0.71 E£36.10

140.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$0.73 E£37.39

258.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$0.66 E£33.39

186.36%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$1.20 E£61.2

116.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$2.98 E£152

232.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$4.46 E£227

84.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$8.38 E£427

40.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$1.49 E£76.0

101.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$0.57 E£29.27

215.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.09

$0.43 E£21.92

381.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$0.37 E£18.81

432.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.06

$0.40 E£20.51

417.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$0.43 E£21.80

404.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$0.22 E£11.17

536.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.21 E£10.82

409.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$2.02 E£103

103.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$5.91 E£301

194.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.41 E£72.0

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.19 E£112

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.05 E£2.73

660.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

$5.81 E£296

222.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$0.43 E£21.89

209.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$0.31 E£15.93

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$1.00 E£51.1

451.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$0.33 E£17.00

296.97%

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

$19.2K MX$333.6K

$35.3K E£1.8M

-45.63%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$32.7K E£1.7M

-27.38%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$11.22 E£572

266.67%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$5.59 E£285

396.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$9.93 E£506

203.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$25.07 E£1,278

114.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$25.61 E£1,305

1.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$2.41 E£123

169.29%

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

$437 MX$7,599

$25.78 E£1,314

1593.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$872 E£44.5K

1098.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$27.66 E£1,410

110.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$43.96 E£2,241

4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$107 E£5,464

-5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$46.31 E£2,360

130.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$188 E£9,572

435.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$84.3 E£4,297

651.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$335 E£17.1K

541.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$181 E£9,250

587.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$425 E£21.7K

808.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$213 E£10.9K

878.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

$71.6 E£3,649

1397.58%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $188 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1398% 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 $291 vs $121 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 236% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1398% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,005 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 222% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $25.78 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $441 in El Faiyum versus $1,481 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 236% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.