Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manouba Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manouba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $651 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $995 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,339 in Manouba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% more expensive than Manouba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Manouba is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$3.33 TND 9.70

289.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$20.05 TND 58.5

162.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.94 TND 14.40

90.89%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.03 TND 3.00

246.60%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.64 TND 1.88

151.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.25 TND 0.73

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.48 TND 4.31

112.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.44 TND 7.11

99.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.46 TND 1.35

269.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.18 TND 0.53

1366.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.48 TND 4.32

28.38%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.48 TND 4.31

71.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$10.69 TND 31.19

-5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$5.81 TND 16.94

42.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$13.37 TND 39.00

-13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.09 TND 6.09

44.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.93 TND 8.54

-41.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.01 TND 2.95

102.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$0.74 TND 2.15

178.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.69 TND 2.02

198.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.60 TND 1.75

261.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.43 TND 1.26

225.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.29 TND 0.84

286.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.30 TND 9.62

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$5.09 TND 14.86

202.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.09 TND 3.17

53.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.05 TND 3.07

251.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.35 TND 1.04

8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$10.01 TND 29.20

90.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.32 TND 0.95

331.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.33 TND 0.97

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$3.48 TND 10.16

55.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.86 TND 2.51

48.84%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$36.1K TND 105.4K

-47.47%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$35.2K TND 102.7K

-33.36%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$45.69 TND 133

-10.22%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$9.48 TND 27.67

183.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$20.95 TND 61.1

41.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$24.16 TND 70.5

116.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$12.73 TND 37.14

106.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.46 TND 15.92

13.19%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$106 TND 311

301.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$2,477 TND 7,228

331.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$44.60 TND 130

27.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$43.33 TND 126

3.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$98.1 TND 286

6.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$66.3 TND 194

59.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$207 TND 604

380.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$156 TND 454

299.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$272 TND 793

682.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$201 TND 587

523.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$934 TND 2,726

317.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$685 TND 1,999

205.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.96

3.47%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Manouba: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $207 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $181 per month, with Manouba 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 Manouba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Manouba differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $651 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $977 in Manouba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $207 in Manouba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manouba – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $651 in Manouba versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manouba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Manouba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Manouba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.