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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $843 in Nouakchott.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,387 in Nouakchott.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,931 in Nouakchott.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than Nouakchott, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Nouakchott is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.96 MRU 198

165.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$24.64 MRU 981

118.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.35 MRU 253

48.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 MRU 77.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MRU 98.5

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.38 MRU 94.8

49.16%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.76 MRU 70.2

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$2.23 MRU 89.0

-50.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.38 MRU 55.1

23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.29 MRU 11.60

837.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.25 MRU 49.91

52.80%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.18 MRU 87.0

16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.90 MRU 315

26.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.70 MRU 227

41.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.97 MRU 277

66.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.18 MRU 86.9

36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.80 MRU 71.8

0.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.48 MRU 58.8

35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.96 MRU 38.15

111.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.80 MRU 31.97

165.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.90 MRU 36.03

152.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.52 MRU 20.66

169.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.70 MRU 27.81

61.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.17 MRU 405

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 MRU 99.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.3

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$2.59 MRU 103

64.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.53 MRU 21.12

-28.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$17.45 MRU 695

9.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.90 MRU 35.78

53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.26 MRU 10.45

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$5.66 MRU 226

-3.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.43 MRU 57.2

-9.09%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$7,521 MRU 299.6K

148.47%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$9,149 MRU 364.4K

152.81%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$146 MRU 5,824

-72.05%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$25.45 MRU 1,014

5.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$61.4 MRU 2,444

-51.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$89.0 MRU 3,546

-41.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$248 MRU 9,885

-89.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.37 MRU 174

44.16%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$79.8 MRU 3,180

446.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$5,985 MRU 238.4K

74.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$20.71 MRU 825

173.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$20.75 MRU 827

113.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$69.2 MRU 2,757

48.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$35.36 MRU 1,408

198.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$224 MRU 8,942

355.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$162 MRU 6,469

288.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$622 MRU 24.8K

243.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$320 MRU 12.7K

288.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$6,530 MRU 260.1K

-40.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$3,008 MRU 119.8K

-31.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$562 MRU 22.4K

98.55%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $224 in Nouakchott. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 99% 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 $288 vs $151 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $843 including rent). Nouakchott is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 99% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $224 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 10% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $79.8 in Nouakchott. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $843 in Nouakchott versus $1,467 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 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.