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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $726 in Nouakchott.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,199 in Nouakchott.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,673 in Nouakchott.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 131% more expensive than in Nouakchott, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Nouakchott is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$2.56 MRU 102

374.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$24.12 MRU 965

123.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.10 MRU 244

81.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 MRU 71.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MRU 68.7

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$2.30 MRU 92.1

78.26%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$1.79 MRU 71.7

-6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$2.19 MRU 87.6

-36.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$1.57 MRU 62.7

17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$0.26 MRU 10.36

1119.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$1.31 MRU 52.6

58.02%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$2.24 MRU 89.8

30.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$5.89 MRU 236

113.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.41 MRU 216

86.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.27 MRU 291

121.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$2.86 MRU 115

18.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$1.78 MRU 71.1

16.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$1.38 MRU 55.0

53.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$0.90 MRU 36.03

167.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$0.78 MRU 31.20

173.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$0.87 MRU 34.66

131.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.73 MRU 29.16

112.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$0.59 MRU 23.52

130.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.17 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MRU 67.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$2.46 MRU 98.4

134.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.46 MRU 18.57

-19.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

$21.87 MRU 876

-3.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$0.89 MRU 35.69

130.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$0.35 MRU 14.13

65.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$3.51 MRU 140

72.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.46 MRU 58.5

6.16%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$7,435 MRU 297.6K

207.69%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$8,979 MRU 359.4K

203.32%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$129 MRU 5,148

-47.58%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$22.36 MRU 895

36.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$59.5 MRU 2,380

-37.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$29.92 MRU 1,198

105.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

$246 MRU 9,852

-88.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.04 MRU 162

75.99%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$449 MRU 18.0K

1.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$7,502 MRU 300.3K

82.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$22.47 MRU 900

230.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$22.51 MRU 901

153.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$68.8 MRU 2,756

67.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$41.81 MRU 1,674

190.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$217 MRU 8,678

429.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$150 MRU 5,989

374.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$735 MRU 29.4K

250.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$286 MRU 11.4K

353.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$6,369 MRU 254.9K

-37.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$2,930 MRU 117.3K

-27.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$577 MRU 23.1K

87.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-43.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $217 in Nouakchott. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 87% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Nouakchott for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $148 per month, with Nouakchott 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 Nouakchott: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nouakchott differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $726 including rent). Nouakchott is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $217 in Nouakchott. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nouakchott runs roughly 3% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $449 in Nouakchott. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $726 in Nouakchott versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nouakchott but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nouakchott 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 Nouakchott 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.