Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Gouna

For one person, living is cheaper in El Gouna: $462 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
El Gouna, Egypt
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
El Gouna
🇪🇬 Egypt
$462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $462 in El Gouna, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • El Gouna $462

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $727 in El Gouna, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • El Gouna $727

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $991 in El Gouna, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • El Gouna $991

Mexico City costs about 262% more than El Gouna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while El Gouna is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$197
$3.63 E£196
191.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$964
$15.64 E£843
232.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$199
$4.48 E£242
139.51%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$70.5
$1.48 E£79.9
156.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$29.93
$0.31 E£16.93
419.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.49
$0.12 E£6.34
908.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.0
$1.25 E£67.6
154.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$101
$3.04 E£164
78.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$31.88
$0.87 E£46.85
97.70%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.1
$0.57 E£30.74
421.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$35.74
$0.69 E£37.30
179.71%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.5
$1.45 E£78.0
91.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$217
$3.32 E£179
251.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$176
$4.29 E£231
120.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$285
$8.71 E£469
76.46%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$57.6
$1.48 E£79.5
109.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.39
$0.59 E£31.62
232.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.78
$0.43 E£23.09
360.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.34
$0.36 E£19.48
550.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.56
$0.37 E£20.13
445.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.86
$0.40 E£21.53
355.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$28.66
$0.24 E£12.97
541.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.35
$0.20 E£10.87
555.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$99.3
$1.95 E£105
174.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$300
$6.28 E£339
157.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.36
$1.25 E£67.3
56.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$80.8
$1.82 E£98.1
139.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.66
$0.19 E£10.38
57.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$362
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$35.58
$0.38 E£20.57
405.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.77
$0.31 E£16.82
51.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$100
$1.94 E£105
178.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.53
$0.31 E£16.59
377.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$396.6K
$35.7K E£1.9M
-40.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$440.9K
$33.4K E£1.8M
-28.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,151
$11.91 E£642
420.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$528
$6.85 E£369
315.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$633
$11.17 E£602
205.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,084
$21.06 E£1,135
177.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$455
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$122
$2.99 E£161
120.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,059
$89.0 E£4,799
387.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$260.5K
$1,856 E£100.1K
656.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,269
$27.96 E£1,507
144.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,017
$44.86 E£2,418
22.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,057
$107 E£5,743
4.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,153
$50.9 E£2,744
127.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$21.9K
$191 E£10.3K
517.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.3K
$102 E£5,473
659.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$47.7K
$278 E£15.0K
823.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.3K
$155 E£8,340
817.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$66.5K
$796 E£42.9K
350.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.3K
$332 E£17.9K
521.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
El Gouna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
16.67
-31.91%

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 Gouna: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
El Gouna
$102 86.8% $669
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
El Gouna
$123 62.1% $201
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
El Gouna
$74 62.9% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
El Gouna
$104 34.2% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
El Gouna
$30 76% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
El Gouna
$27 62.2% $45
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
El Gouna
$2.7 * 89.2% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $191 in El Gouna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $16 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $123 – making El Gouna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇪🇬 El Gouna
🕒 Local time
07:23 7:23 AM
15:23 3:23 PM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
15,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.85 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 53.9 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.57 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City El Gouna 12,740 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • El Gouna

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 Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Gouna cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 262%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $693 in El Gouna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in El Gouna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $191 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.
Is eating out cheaper in Mexico City or in El Gouna?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City and $16 in El Gouna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in El Gouna?
Groceries cost about 164% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in El Gouna?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in El Gouna, where all-in costs run around $462, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In El Gouna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mexico City or El Gouna more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward El Gouna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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