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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $348 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $598 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $847 in Ismailia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 319% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Ismailia is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.50 E£179

273.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$15.57 E£795

245.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.49 E£229

115.59%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.01 E£51.6

270.30%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.29 E£14.81

458.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.09 E£4.83

1188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.20 E£61.5

169.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.99 E£102

138.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.82 E£41.71

101.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.39 E£19.89

605.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.61 E£31.35

206.56%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.40 E£71.6

78.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$3.00 E£153

240.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.61 E£184

128.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.14 E£415

45.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.43 E£73.0

110.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.58 E£29.74

212.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.39 E£19.80

412.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.29 E£14.68

589.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.38 E£19.36

447.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.39 E£19.88

482.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.21 E£10.78

595.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.17 E£8.84

535.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.64 E£83.7

165.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.01 E£307

182.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.02 E£51.9

69.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.02 E£103

77.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.27 E£13.81

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$4.01 E£205

366.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.31 E£15.63

329.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.43 E£21.92

-34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.02 E£103

159.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.33 E£17.03

306.06%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$30.0K E£1.5M

-35.27%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$16.0K E£815.9K

49.11%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$11.32 E£578

259.45%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$5.73 E£292

368.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$7.68 E£392

297.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$12.00 E£613

339.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$19.86 E£1,014

34.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$2.01 E£103

223.88%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$89.2 E£4,553

379.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,243 E£63.5K

744.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$12.72 E£649

350.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$9.69 E£495

369.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$107 E£5,451

-2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$50.6 E£2,581

113.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$89.2 E£4,553

1025.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$40.26 E£2,055

1446.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$146 E£7,430

1349.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$87.8 E£4,480

1287.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$505 E£25.8K

669.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$138 E£7,034

1375.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$109 E£5,567

851.66%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 852% 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 $292 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 319% 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.

Average pay runs 852% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 163% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $348 in Ismailia versus $1,456 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 $348 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 319% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.