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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $447 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $729 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,011 in Qalyub.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 226% more expensive than in Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Qalyub is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.57 E£182

266.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$15.77 E£805

240.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.57 E£233

111.82%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.45 E£74.2

157.93%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.31 E£15.87

422.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.12 E£6.24

866.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.27 E£64.6

154.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.71 E£138

74.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.86 E£44.04

91.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.59 E£30.08

366.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.70 E£35.67

167.14%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.45 E£74.1

72.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$3.45 E£176

195.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.23 E£216

95.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$8.72 E£445

35.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.47 E£75.2

104.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.54 E£27.74

235.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.39 E£20.08

412.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.39 E£20.08

412.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.38 E£19.25

447.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.41 E£20.73

453.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.22 E£11.16

563.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.20 E£10.17

440.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.94 E£99.3

124.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.01 E£307

182.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.26 E£64.4

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.71 E£87.4

109.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.16 E£8.19

143.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.42 E£21.26

216.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.31 E£15.92

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$1.02 E£52.3

414.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.33 E£17.04

306.06%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$36.0K E£1.8M

-46.12%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$29.9K E£1.5M

-20.43%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$11.43 E£584

255.99%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$5.70 E£291

371.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$10.10 E£516

202.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$22.10 E£1,128

138.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$2.88 E£147

126.04%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$88.5 E£4,515

383.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,865 E£95.2K

463.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$27.53 E£1,405

107.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$43.53 E£2,222

4.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$107 E£5,449

-2.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$51.5 E£2,627

109.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$193 E£9,846

420.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$101 E£5,153

516.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$303 E£15.5K

595.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$181 E£9,239

572.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$807 E£41.2K

381.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$443 E£22.6K

358.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

16.67

-31.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $193 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $122 per month, with Qalyub 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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Qalyub differ by about 226% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $447 including rent). Qalyub is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $670 in Qalyub 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $193 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $88.5 in Qalyub. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qalyub – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $447 in Qalyub versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qalyub but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Qalyub 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 Qalyub gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.