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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $669 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,059 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,450 in Manouba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 148% more expensive than in Manouba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Manouba is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$3.40 TND 9.85

250.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$20.51 TND 59.5

151.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.23 TND 18.06

83.15%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.11 TND 3.23

259.46%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.66 TND 1.91

151.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.26 TND 0.74

411.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.68 TND 4.86

106.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.38 TND 6.92

147.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$0.51 TND 1.49

268.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.25 TND 0.73

1200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.35 TND 3.93

60.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.61 TND 4.68

80.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$10.39 TND 30.15

23.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.69 TND 16.52

76.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$14.43 TND 41.85

9.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$1.87 TND 5.42

75.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$3.26 TND 9.47

-38.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.11 TND 3.21

98.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.72 TND 2.09

227.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.84 TND 2.44

144.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$0.66 TND 1.90

187.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.53 TND 1.54

203.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.31 TND 0.90

351.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.67 TND 10.66

48.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.80 TND 19.73

159.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.21 TND 3.51

70.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.07 TND 3.11

337.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.36 TND 1.03

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$10.47 TND 30.37

98.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.30 TND 0.87

600.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.34 TND 0.99

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.82 TND 5.29

219.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.84 TND 2.44

91.67%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$37.4K TND 108.4K

-38.87%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$35.5K TND 102.9K

-24.58%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$46.62 TND 135

39.81%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$9.00 TND 26.10

234.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$21.15 TND 61.3

75.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$27.49 TND 79.7

117.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$13.98 TND 40.55

89.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.60 TND 16.23

25.71%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$99.3 TND 288

367.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$2,561 TND 7,427

418.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$43.03 TND 125

76.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$36.28 TND 105

54.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$112 TND 324

0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$68.2 TND 198

76.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$215 TND 625

411.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$161 TND 466

348.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$376 TND 1,090

573.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$281 TND 815

360.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$996 TND 2,888

300.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$641 TND 1,858

226.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.28

9.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Manouba: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $215 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $191 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 148% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $669 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,003 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $215 in Manouba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $669 in Manouba versus $1,660 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 148% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.