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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $536 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $845 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,154 in M'Sila.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 174% 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 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$1.91 DZD 252

596.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$19.57 DZD 2,590

174.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.83 DZD 507

145.95%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$0.41 DZD 53.9

775.61%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.56 DZD 74.4

189.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.16 DZD 21.57

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.00 DZD 265

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.40 DZD 318

93.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.84 DZD 111

95.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$0.11 DZD 14.75

2309.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.43 DZD 189

37.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$1.45 DZD 192

75.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$3.10 DZD 411

221.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$5.46 DZD 723

53.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$9.36 DZD 1,239

26.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$3.13 DZD 414

-8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$2.79 DZD 369

-37.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.71 DZD 226

16.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$0.58 DZD 77.1

253.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.53 DZD 69.9

288.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$0.29 DZD 38.25

686.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$0.13 DZD 17.26

1015.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.30 DZD 39.92

263.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.73 DZD 361

56.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$7.08 DZD 937

107.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.34 DZD 178

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.11 DZD 279

69.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.23 DZD 30.35

65.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$17.27 DZD 2,285

8.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.67 DZD 88.3

107.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.36 DZD 47.72

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$5.40 DZD 715

0.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$0.35 DZD 46.79

282.86%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$36.0K DZD 4.8M

-47.59%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$33.8K DZD 4.5M

-31.28%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$24.52 DZD 3,245

64.36%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$7.69 DZD 1,017

253.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$17.91 DZD 2,370

64.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$23.35 DZD 3,090

125.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$6.34 DZD 840

-2.52%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$92.8 DZD 12.3K

375.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,597 DZD 476.1K

197.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$36.87 DZD 4,880

55.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$46.33 DZD 6,131

-2.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$75.0 DZD 9,924

37.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$76.9 DZD 10.2K

41.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$194 DZD 25.7K

414.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$117 DZD 15.5K

439.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$269 DZD 35.6K

696.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$180 DZD 23.8K

595.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$441 DZD 58.4K

749.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$654 DZD 86.6K

263.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$256 DZD 33.9K

321.66%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $194 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 322% 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 in Mexico City vs $20 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 174% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mexico City pays 322% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $194 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 8% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $92.8 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $536 in M'Sila versus $1,466 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 174% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.