Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and M'Sila Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and M'Sila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $531 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $836 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,142 in M'Sila.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 177% more expensive than in M'Sila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, M'Sila is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$1.91 DZD 253

587.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$19.50 DZD 2,578

174.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.90 DZD 516

139.23%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$0.40 DZD 53.0

825.00%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.56 DZD 73.5

185.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.21 DZD 27.96

433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.00 DZD 264

57.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.31 DZD 306

109.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.82 DZD 109

101.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.12 DZD 15.30

2158.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.43 DZD 189

33.57%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.53 DZD 203

69.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$3.15 DZD 417

211.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.30 DZD 701

59.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$9.69 DZD 1,281

23.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.06 DZD 405

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.89 DZD 382

-39.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.73 DZD 229

17.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.58 DZD 76.9

255.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.53 DZD 69.7

305.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.31 DZD 41.03

629.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.14 DZD 18.95

892.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.28 DZD 36.53

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.79 DZD 369

51.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.81 DZD 900

157.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.31 DZD 173

30.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.16 DZD 286

68.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.25 DZD 33.14

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$17.58 DZD 2,325

9.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.65 DZD 86.6

112.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.34 DZD 44.67

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$5.53 DZD 731

-4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.35 DZD 46.38

288.57%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$35.9K DZD 4.7M

-46.74%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

-30.28%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$24.32 DZD 3,215

66.65%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$7.98 DZD 1,056

243.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$17.84 DZD 2,359

70.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$23.14 DZD 3,059

125.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.01 DZD 795

3.00%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$93.4 DZD 12.4K

354.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$3,661 DZD 484.1K

193.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$36.39 DZD 4,811

60.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$45.93 DZD 6,073

-2.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$76.0 DZD 10.0K

36.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$195 DZD 25.8K

420.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$115 DZD 15.2K

440.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$274 DZD 36.3K

672.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$184 DZD 24.4K

563.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,113 DZD 147.1K

240.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$637 DZD 84.2K

231.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$248 DZD 32.8K

323.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.42

109.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $195 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 324% 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 $19.00 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $159 per month, with M'Sila 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 M'Sila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

M'Sila is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 177% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 324% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $195 in M'Sila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in M'Sila runs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $93.4 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $531 in M'Sila versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in M'Sila but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes M'Sila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, M'Sila is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and M'Sila 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 M'Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.