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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $462 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $730 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $998 in El Gouna, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 215% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while El Gouna is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.65 E£186

258.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$15.91 E£812

237.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.52 E£231

114.16%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.49 E£75.9

151.01%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.29 E£14.71

458.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.12 E£5.91

866.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.27 E£64.8

154.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.05 E£156

55.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.91 E£46.61

81.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.57 E£29.15

382.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.66 E£33.70

183.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.43 E£73.2

74.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$3.41 E£174

199.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.21 E£215

95.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.57 E£437

37.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.42 E£72.3

111.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.58 E£29.46

212.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.40 E£20.30

400.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.36 E£18.56

455.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.38 E£19.32

447.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.43 E£22.08

427.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.22 E£11.21

563.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.18 E£9.21

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.94 E£99.2

124.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.23 E£318

172.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.30 E£66.5

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.88 E£96.2

90.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.20 E£10.01

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.38 E£19.58

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.31 E£16.01

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.04 E£104

157.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.31 E£15.77

332.26%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-45.41%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-28.68%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$11.78 E£602

245.42%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$6.78 E£346

296.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$11.35 E£580

168.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$20.92 E£1,068

152.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$2.92 E£149

122.95%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$87.6 E£4,471

388.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,877 E£95.8K

459.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$27.44 E£1,401

108.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$45.10 E£2,302

0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$109 E£5,582

-4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$51.4 E£2,625

109.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$192 E£9,795

422.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$101 E£5,146

517.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$270 E£13.8K

679.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$158 E£8,085

669.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$822 E£42.0K

372.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$498 E£25.4K

307.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

16.67

-31.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $192 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 $54.0 in Mexico City versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $122 – making El Gouna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 215%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 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.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Gouna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $16.00 in El Gouna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 140% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in El Gouna, where all-in costs run around $462, than in Mexico City at $1,456. In El Gouna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with El Gouna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.