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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $353 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $591 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $830 in Ismailia.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 367% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Ismailia is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.46 E£176

250.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$882

$16.03 E£815

225.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$3.92 E£199

178.06%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$1.09 E£55.5

271.56%

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

$1.72 MX$28.96

$0.31 E£15.96

454.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.26

$0.13 E£6.57

961.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$1.36 E£69.0

155.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$2.02 E£103

187.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$0.89 E£45.09

107.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$0.41 E£20.62

685.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.21

$0.65 E£32.78

221.54%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.12

$1.22 E£62.0

138.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$3.84 E£195

225.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.31 E£219

134.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$7.67 E£390

107.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.57 E£79.9

110.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.91

$0.54 E£27.37

294.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$0.45 E£22.71

386.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.33

$0.37 E£18.66

562.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.96

$0.27 E£13.80

711.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.16

$0.33 E£16.97

475.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$0.25 E£12.72

548.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.79

$0.18 E£9.23

650.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$2.03 E£103

167.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$5.80 E£295

203.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.92

$1.11 E£56.4

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$2.02 E£103

135.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.27 E£13.76

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

$3.91 E£199

451.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.45

$0.41 E£20.65

397.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.76

$0.45 E£22.94

28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$2.01 E£102

197.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.28

$0.43 E£21.86

276.74%

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

$22.8K MX$385.2K

$29.0K E£1.5M

-21.32%

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

$26.7K MX$450.2K

$16.0K E£813.8K

66.49%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$14.02 E£713

365.34%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$7.41 E£376

303.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$8.09 E£411

351.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$10.40 E£529

486.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$19.59 E£996

36.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$2.03 E£103

237.44%

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

$453 MX$7,656

$69.5 E£3,532

552.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.8K

$1,253 E£63.7K

966.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,266

$14.00 E£711

435.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$9.70 E£493

470.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,918

$124 E£6,309

-8.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,071

$29.02 E£1,475

322.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$81.0 E£4,115

1299.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$33.04 E£1,679

2055.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$127 E£6,460

1922.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$78.0 E£3,965

1580.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$491 E£25.0K

713.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$139 E£7,052

1409.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$107 E£5,424

880.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

21.33

-47.02%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 881% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $117 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 367% 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 881% 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $69.5 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 195% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $353 in Ismailia versus $1,646 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 $353 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 367% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.