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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $643 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $979 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,314 in Manouba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 131% more expensive than Manouba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Manouba is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.46 TND 9.99

275.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$20.66 TND 59.7

156.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$5.23 TND 15.10

85.85%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.08 TND 3.11

247.22%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.60 TND 1.73

161.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.25 TND 0.73

352.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.56 TND 4.51

103.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.43 TND 7.03

91.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.47 TND 1.35

244.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.20 TND 0.57

1255.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.49 TND 4.29

26.17%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.49 TND 4.30

68.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.68 TND 30.87

-5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.67 TND 16.39

46.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$13.74 TND 39.70

-13.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.03 TND 5.86

40.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$3.07 TND 8.87

-43.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.05 TND 3.03

98.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.74 TND 2.13

166.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.72 TND 2.08

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.60 TND 1.73

263.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.43 TND 1.25

223.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.31 TND 0.90

261.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.35 TND 9.69

25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$5.00 TND 14.45

185.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.10 TND 3.19

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.06 TND 3.06

247.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.33 TND 0.95

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$10.04 TND 29.03

85.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.29 TND 0.85

379.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.31 TND 0.89

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$3.43 TND 9.91

58.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.86 TND 2.50

56.98%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$35.2K TND 101.8K

-46.42%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$34.8K TND 100.5K

-33.44%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$44.88 TND 130

-9.05%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$9.72 TND 28.08

182.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$21.08 TND 60.9

44.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$23.37 TND 67.5

128.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$12.72 TND 36.77

106.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.51 TND 15.92

13.79%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$109 TND 314

301.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,524 TND 7,295

314.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$44.16 TND 128

28.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$44.44 TND 128

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$96.0 TND 278

7.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$64.1 TND 185

68.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$200 TND 579

398.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$153 TND 442

305.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$276 TND 798

673.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$206 TND 594

500.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$880 TND 2,542

339.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$562 TND 1,625

314.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Manouba: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $200 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $183 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 131% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $643 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $964 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $200 in Manouba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% 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 $21.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Manouba versus $1,484 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 131% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.