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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $851 in Nouakchott.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,387 in Nouakchott.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,923 in Nouakchott.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than in Nouakchott, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Nouakchott is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.94 MRU 197

164.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$24.95 MRU 995

115.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.37 MRU 254

51.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MRU 79.8

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MRU 98.4

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.40 MRU 95.8

55.83%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.83 MRU 72.8

-11.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$2.14 MRU 85.3

-45.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.38 MRU 55.0

19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.27 MRU 10.72

918.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.25 MRU 50.0

49.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.20 MRU 87.7

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.10 MRU 323

25.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.62 MRU 224

46.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.34 MRU 293

61.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.27 MRU 90.7

32.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.83 MRU 72.8

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.46 MRU 58.1

36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.97 MRU 38.57

106.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.80 MRU 32.10

160.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.85 MRU 33.72

167.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.56 MRU 22.51

160.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.69 MRU 27.51

56.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.20 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.55 MRU 102

70.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.53 MRU 21.14

-26.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$17.96 MRU 716

4.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.84 MRU 33.53

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.26 MRU 10.45

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.76 MRU 230

-8.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.39 MRU 55.5

-3.60%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$7,604 MRU 303.2K

155.29%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$9,039 MRU 360.5K

163.65%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$144 MRU 5,752

-71.79%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$25.38 MRU 1,012

5.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$60.8 MRU 2,425

-49.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$86.0 MRU 3,431

-38.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$256 MRU 10.2K

-89.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.48 MRU 179

45.31%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$81.4 MRU 3,247

425.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,925 MRU 236.3K

77.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$20.58 MRU 821

178.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$20.50 MRU 818

121.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$70.2 MRU 2,801

48.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$35.30 MRU 1,408

205.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$229 MRU 9,127

338.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$164 MRU 6,549

279.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$636 MRU 25.4K

231.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$317 MRU 12.7K

283.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$6,610 MRU 263.6K

-41.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$3,019 MRU 120.4K

-32.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$578 MRU 23.1K

79.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

16.5

-31.27%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $229 in Nouakchott. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 80% 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 $25.00 in Nouakchott for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $152 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 71% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $851 including rent). Nouakchott is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $229 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 4% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $81.4 in Nouakchott. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $851 in Nouakchott versus $1,456 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.