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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $568 in Ouarzazate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $907 in Ouarzazate.

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 159% more expensive than in Ouarzazate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Ouarzazate is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$4.78 MAD 44.60

174.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$10.98 MAD 102

387.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.50 MAD 41.97

107.33%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.07 MAD 10.00

245.79%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.42 MAD 3.92

280.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.36 MAD 3.32

211.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.82 MAD 26.28

11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.69 MAD 25.07

80.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.77 MAD 7.20

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.56 MAD 5.24

383.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.45 MAD 13.55

31.72%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.66 MAD 15.46

56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.83 MAD 73.0

25.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.15 MAD 38.65

103.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$6.54 MAD 61.0

82.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$0.97 MAD 9.08

204.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.39 MAD 12.95

25.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.63 MAD 5.85

223.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.68 MAD 6.33

202.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.64 MAD 5.98

235.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.46 MAD 4.28

391.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.23 MAD 2.15

504.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.60 MAD 5.57

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.29 MAD 40.01

-1.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.20 MAD 76.5

113.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.61 MAD 24.38

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$3.05 MAD 28.43

19.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.47 MAD 4.41

-25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$16.20 MAD 151

19.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.54 MAD 5.03

155.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.51 MAD 4.76

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.78 MAD 25.89

89.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.52 MAD 14.17

-10.53%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$37.9K MAD 353.2K

-49.57%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$29.5K MAD 275.3K

-20.05%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$32.17 MAD 300

25.99%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$5.41 MAD 50.5

406.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$25.05 MAD 234

21.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$15.08 MAD 141

246.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$23.53 MAD 219

12.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$3.82 MAD 35.60

62.04%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$75.8 MAD 707

460.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$6,303 MAD 58.8K

70.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$38.89 MAD 363

49.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$50.6 MAD 471

-11.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$50.2 MAD 468

106.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$67.0 MAD 625

62.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$251 MAD 2,343

303.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$130 MAD 1,208

380.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$502 MAD 4,676

322.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$309 MAD 2,880

295.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$1,231 MAD 11.5K

208.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$896 MAD 8,359

135.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.75

138.74%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ouarzazate: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $251 in Ouarzazate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Ouarzazate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $155 per month, with Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ouarzazate differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $568 including rent). Ouarzazate 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 $852 in Ouarzazate 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 $251 in Ouarzazate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ouarzazate runs roughly 19% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $75.8 in Ouarzazate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $568 in Ouarzazate versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ouarzazate but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ouarzazate 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Ouarzazate are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ouarzazate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.