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 $1,467 per month in Mexico City vs $451 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Mexico City vs $710 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,274 per month in Mexico City vs $970 in El Gouna, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 226% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Mexico City sits 10% above the global median, while El Gouna is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.62 E£188

264.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$15.98 E£829

237.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.65 E£241

102.58%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$1.49 E£77.3

138.26%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.31 E£16.29

422.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.10 E£4.97

1010.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.22 E£63.2

155.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.87 E£149

61.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.86 E£44.84

97.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.62 E£32.10

338.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.67 E£34.67

185.07%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.38 E£71.7

84.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.44 E£179

191.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.26 E£221

89.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.77 E£455

32.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.48 E£77.0

100.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$0.53 E£27.66

241.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.42 E£21.97

378.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.39 E£20.40

420.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.38 E£19.56

457.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.43 E£22.34

427.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.22 E£11.39

536.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.18 E£9.40

527.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.98 E£103

115.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$6.45 E£335

141.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.25 E£64.7

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.85 E£96.0

94.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.19 E£9.67

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.38 E£19.82

263.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.31 E£16.35

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.03 E£105

168.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.33 E£17.19

293.94%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-47.45%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-30.35%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$12.03 E£624

239.65%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$7.07 E£367

279.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$11.40 E£592

162.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$21.03 E£1,092

147.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.97 E£154

112.12%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$88.7 E£4,602

391.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$1,821 E£94.5K

472.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$27.94 E£1,450

102.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$44.19 E£2,294

0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$109 E£5,678

-5.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$51.2 E£2,659

106.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$188 E£9,760

443.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$98.7 E£5,124

538.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$278 E£14.4K

669.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$156 E£8,074

698.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$766 E£39.8K

409.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$492 E£25.5K

319.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Mexico City versus $188 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: $288 vs $123 – 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 226%, 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 $2,201 per month in Mexico City and $676 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 134% 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 $451, than in Mexico City at $1,467. 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.