Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ismailia Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ismailia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $344 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $582 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $819 in Ismailia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 326% more expensive than Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ismailia is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.58 E£186

268.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$15.66 E£813

244.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.50 E£234

109.33%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$0.95 E£49.38

273.68%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.27 E£13.84

500.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.11 E£5.62

909.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.20 E£62.3

160.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$1.96 E£102

136.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.85 E£44.28

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.41 E£21.35

563.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.66 E£34.11

189.39%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.40 E£72.5

81.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.01 E£156

233.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.72 E£193

117.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.78 E£404

49.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.46 E£76.0

103.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$0.54 E£28.01

235.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.41 E£21.36

390.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.29 E£14.90

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.37 E£19.45

472.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.41 E£21.39

453.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.19 E£9.75

636.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.17 E£8.61

564.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.63 E£84.6

161.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.85 E£303

165.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.02 E£53.1

72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.95 E£101

84.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.25 E£12.93

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$4.04 E£210

374.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.33 E£17.19

318.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.45 E£23.58

-37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$1.94 E£101

180.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.33 E£17.32

293.94%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$30.1K E£1.6M

-37.91%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$16.1K E£835.7K

43.65%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$11.33 E£588

260.64%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$5.68 E£295

372.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$7.72 E£401

288.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$11.67 E£606

345.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$19.66 E£1,020

36.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.01 E£104

213.43%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$86.9 E£4,509

401.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$1,214 E£63.0K

758.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$12.65 E£657

347.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$10.12 E£525

338.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$107 E£5,537

-3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$49.96 E£2,593

111.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$89.7 E£4,653

1039.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$39.40 E£2,045

1501.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$142 E£7,384

1401.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$88.5 E£4,591

1305.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$485 E£25.2K

704.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$133 E£6,897

1453.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$107 E£5,570

939.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-33.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 939% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $111 per month, with Ismailia 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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 326% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 939% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $86.9 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Ismailia versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ismailia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $344 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ismailia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 326% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.