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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $543 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $855 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,168 in M'Sila.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 167% more expensive than M'Sila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, M'Sila is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$1.90 DZD 252

582.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$19.69 DZD 2,611

165.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$3.87 DZD 513

150.39%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$0.37 DZD 49.31

913.51%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.57 DZD 75.1

173.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.19 DZD 24.94

510.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$2.00 DZD 265

62.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.32 DZD 308

111.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$0.82 DZD 109

107.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.13 DZD 17.33

1953.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.47 DZD 195

28.57%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.51 DZD 200

66.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$3.15 DZD 418

218.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$5.28 DZD 700

61.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$9.73 DZD 1,291

22.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$3.13 DZD 415

-5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$2.85 DZD 378

-37.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$1.76 DZD 234

13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$0.55 DZD 72.5

256.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.50 DZD 65.9

332.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$0.29 DZD 37.79

682.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.13 DZD 16.58

976.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.28 DZD 36.69

296.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$2.80 DZD 372

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$6.93 DZD 919

138.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.34 DZD 178

25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$2.13 DZD 283

68.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.25 DZD 33.33

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$17.37 DZD 2,303

10.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.65 DZD 86.7

112.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.36 DZD 48.12

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$5.48 DZD 727

-1.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$0.35 DZD 46.53

268.57%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$36.3K DZD 4.8M

-47.93%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$33.5K DZD 4.4M

-29.05%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$24.16 DZD 3,204

64.98%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$7.79 DZD 1,033

257.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$17.67 DZD 2,343

68.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$23.38 DZD 3,100

122.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$6.11 DZD 811

2.62%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$95.5 DZD 12.7K

353.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$3,640 DZD 482.7K

189.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$36.75 DZD 4,873

55.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$44.94 DZD 5,959

0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$74.3 DZD 9,848

37.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$78.1 DZD 10.4K

38.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$196 DZD 26.0K

406.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$116 DZD 15.4K

430.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$273 DZD 36.2K

663.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$185 DZD 24.5K

579.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$1,116 DZD 148.0K

252.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$630 DZD 83.6K

231.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$251 DZD 33.3K

350.89%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $196 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 351% 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 $20.00 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $160 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 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 351% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $196 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 $433 in Mexico City versus $95.5 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $543 in M'Sila versus $1,448 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 167% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.