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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $448 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $731 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,014 in El Faiyum.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 270% more expensive than in El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, El Faiyum is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$2.32 E£121

413.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$13.71 E£715

276.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.83 E£252

136.23%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.18 E£61.5

238.14%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.31 E£15.95

435.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.11 E£5.62

1109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.34 E£69.9

158.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.85 E£149

107.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$0.69 E£35.86

172.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.75 E£39.14

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.61 E£31.99

254.10%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.17 E£61.0

147.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$3.01 E£157

327.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.51 E£235

122.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$8.02 E£418

97.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.58 E£82.2

108.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.71 E£36.88

183.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$0.57 E£29.47

285.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.34 E£17.97

594.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.25 E£12.89

720.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.33 E£17.30

475.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.27 E£13.94

496.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.19 E£9.90

636.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$1.98 E£103

175.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$5.89 E£307

199.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.24 E£64.6

66.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.15 E£112

117.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.06 E£3.29

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$5.87 E£306

254.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.45 E£23.47

366.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.30 E£15.77

86.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$0.94 E£49.21

518.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.42 E£22.04

283.33%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$32.8K E£1.7M

-30.46%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$28.0K E£1.5M

-4.43%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$13.86 E£723

370.27%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$7.24 E£377

315.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$13.51 E£705

175.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$24.55 E£1,280

143.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$25.33 E£1,321

4.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$2.37 E£123

197.05%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$25.36 E£1,323

1732.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$873 E£45.5K

1420.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$31.99 E£1,668

137.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$44.88 E£2,341

24.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$126 E£6,545

-10.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$44.80 E£2,336

168.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$183 E£9,546

502.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$82.8 E£4,320

770.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$327 E£17.1K

672.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$178 E£9,269

627.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$407 E£21.2K

881.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$208 E£10.8K

905.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$70.6 E£3,683

1368.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

88.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $183 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1369% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 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 270% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1369% 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $183 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 255% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $25.36 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $448 in El Faiyum versus $1,660 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 270% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.