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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,073 in Qabatiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,751 in Qabatiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,428 in Qabatiyah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than Qabatiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Qabatiyah is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$8.42 ₪24.18

56.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$42.94 ₪123

25.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.20 ₪26.40

2.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.71 ₪10.64

-4.31%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.71 ₪2.04

128.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.57 ₪1.65

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$5.51 ₪15.83

-43.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$5.40 ₪15.50

-14.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.99 ₪5.70

-14.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.54 ₪1.56

403.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.74 ₪7.87

-30.29%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.62 ₪7.52

-3.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.06 ₪17.41

65.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.60 ₪18.95

22.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$15.53 ₪44.59

-25.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.35 ₪6.74

26.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.37 ₪3.93

32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.37 ₪3.93

46.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.45 ₪4.16

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.08 ₪3.11

96.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.04 ₪3.00

118.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.49 ₪4.28

-6.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.80 ₪2.29

41.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$7.59 ₪21.79

-43.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.99 ₪8.57

-41.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.56 ₪7.35

40.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.04 ₪2.97

-63.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$59.6 ₪171

-67.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.87 ₪8.24

-51.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.32 ₪3.80

-78.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$14.33 ₪41.13

-61.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.91 ₪5.49

-31.94%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$36.7K ₪105.2K

-49.01%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$44.7K ₪128.3K

-48.26%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$83.0 ₪238

-50.74%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$18.01 ₪51.7

48.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$40.96 ₪118

-26.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$57.5 ₪165

-9.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$28.53 ₪81.9

-5.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.63 ₪24.76

-27.00%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$205 ₪589

112.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$4,023 ₪11.6K

158.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$41.71 ₪120

35.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$43.13 ₪124

2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$55.6 ₪160

84.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$42.33 ₪122

149.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$513 ₪1,471

99.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$279 ₪800

126.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,021 ₪2,932

109.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$696 ₪1,998

78.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,053 ₪5,895

90.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,393 ₪3,999

48.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$691 ₪1,982

61.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.6

-2.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Qabatiyah: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $513 in Qabatiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 61% 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 $43.00 in Qabatiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $218 per month, with Qabatiyah 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 Qabatiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Qabatiyah differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,073 including rent). Qabatiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 61% 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 $513 in Qabatiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Qabatiyah runs roughly 211% 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 $205 in Qabatiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,073 in Qabatiyah versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qabatiyah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Qabatiyah 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 Qabatiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.