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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $630 in Manouba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $965 in Manouba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,301 in Manouba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 134% more expensive than in Manouba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Manouba is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$3.46 TND 10.16

279.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$20.39 TND 59.9

162.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$5.16 TND 15.13

80.81%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$1.07 TND 3.15

245.79%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.60 TND 1.76

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.23 TND 0.67

386.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.54 TND 4.51

103.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$2.35 TND 6.89

106.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$0.49 TND 1.44

236.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$0.16 TND 0.46

1593.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.51 TND 4.42

26.49%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$1.48 TND 4.34

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.41 TND 30.53

-5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$5.84 TND 17.15

44.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$13.27 TND 38.94

-10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$2.04 TND 5.98

44.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$3.00 TND 8.79

-42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$1.01 TND 2.96

101.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$0.68 TND 1.99

202.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$0.69 TND 2.04

211.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$0.60 TND 1.75

276.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.47 TND 1.37

195.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.29 TND 0.84

286.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$3.46 TND 10.14

21.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.19 TND 15.24

237.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$1.15 TND 3.36

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$1.07 TND 3.14

239.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.36 TND 1.05

-2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$10.19 TND 29.90

89.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.32 TND 0.95

331.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.33 TND 0.98

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$3.36 TND 9.85

57.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$0.83 TND 2.43

63.86%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$35.6K TND 104.4K

-46.29%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$34.5K TND 101.2K

-31.54%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$45.81 TND 134

-11.53%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$9.76 TND 28.63

180.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$21.43 TND 62.9

41.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$23.65 TND 69.4

120.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$12.67 TND 37.19

109.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.32 TND 15.62

16.35%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$108 TND 316

294.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$2,474 TND 7,260

333.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$45.12 TND 132

29.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$43.94 TND 129

1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$94.9 TND 278

9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$63.8 TND 187

70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$200 TND 587

406.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$152 TND 446

309.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$271 TND 796

681.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$204 TND 599

499.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$1,071 TND 3,143

254.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$650 TND 1,907

224.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Manouba: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $200 in Manouba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Manouba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 134% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $630 including rent). Manouba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $945 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: $1,014 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 62% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $630 in Manouba versus $1,472 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 134% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.