Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Kef

For one person, living is cheaper in El Kef: $614 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
El Kef, Tunisia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
El Kef
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $614 in El Kef, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • El Kef $614

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $964 in El Kef, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • El Kef $964

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,315 in El Kef, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • El Kef $1,315

Mexico City costs about 162% more than El Kef, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while El Kef is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$5.48 TND 16.47
93.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$906
$13.42 TND 40.33
260.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$4.61 TND 13.85
124.51%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.2
$0.69 TND 2.06
434.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.23
$0.51 TND 1.54
227.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.71
$0.24 TND 0.72
429.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.8
$0.88 TND 2.65
262.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.5
$0.99 TND 2.99
436.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.32
$0.46 TND 1.39
273.91%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.0
$0.19 TND 0.58
1500.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$1.86 TND 5.58
4.30%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.1
$1.47 TND 4.43
96.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$14.59 TND 43.83
-24.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$173
$6.26 TND 18.82
47.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$283
$15.12 TND 45.44
0.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.1
$1.67 TND 5.02
82.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.38
$1.67 TND 5.01
16.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.95
$1.03 TND 3.09
97.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.38
$0.61 TND 1.85
278.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.14
$0.41 TND 1.24
397.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.73
$0.16 TND 0.47
1025.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.72
$0.48 TND 1.45
208.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.75
$0.31 TND 0.94
309.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.4
$3.39 TND 10.20
56.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$4.34 TND 13.03
270.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.16
$0.65 TND 1.95
204.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.7
$1.00 TND 2.99
325.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.72
$0.32 TND 0.97
-3.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$370
$10.25 TND 30.81
92.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.44
$0.29 TND 0.87
534.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.00
$0.29 TND 0.87
82.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.2
$4.04 TND 12.13
31.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.31
$0.77 TND 2.33
96.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$407.7K
$39.6K TND 119.0K
-45.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$449.5K
$37.2K TND 111.7K
-35.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,180
$26.84 TND 80.6
134.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$513
$10.40 TND 31.26
163.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$668
$14.31 TND 42.98
149.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,105
$27.31 TND 82.1
115.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$443
$12.59 TND 37.83
87.77%
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$3.35 TND 10.06
91.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,088
$61.1 TND 184
606.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.1K
$1,944 TND 5,841
487.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,278
$23.19 TND 69.7
194.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$996
$68.6 TND 206
-22.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,020
$40.51 TND 122
166.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,198
$76.5 TND 230
53.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$208 TND 624
435.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$158 TND 476
348.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.5K
$370 TND 1,113
598.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.3K
$270 TND 810
421.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.0K
$938 TND 2,818
287.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.0K
$619 TND 1,859
245.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
El Kef
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.7K
$171 TND 513
454.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
11
3.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for El Kef: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
El Kef
$158 77.7% $552
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
El Kef
$187 41.5% $133
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
El Kef
$75 62.1% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
El Kef
$94 39.7% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
El Kef
$52 59.1% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
El Kef
$34 52.6% $38
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
El Kef
$13 47.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $208 in El Kef. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $13 in El Kef. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $187 – making El Kef the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇹🇳 El Kef
🕒 Local time
11:34 11:34 AM
18:34 6:34 PM
7 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
73,710
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City El Kef 10,240 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • El Kef

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 Kef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Kef cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 162%, 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 $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $920 in El Kef. 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 Kef, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 48% less in El Kef. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $61 in El Kef. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in El Kef?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in El Kef, where all-in costs run around $614, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In El Kef it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mexico City or El Kef more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward El Kef – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with El Kef. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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