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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $469 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $749 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,028 in Qalyub.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 251% more expensive than in Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Qalyub is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$4.29 E£218

182.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$885

$16.77 E£853

211.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$185

$4.78 E£243

128.03%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.7

$1.36 E£69.4

197.79%

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

$1.72 MX$29.06

$0.32 E£16.25

437.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.34

$0.14 E£6.88

885.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.7

$1.34 E£68.3

158.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.5

$2.30 E£117

152.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.40

$0.91 E£46.11

103.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.6

$0.71 E£36.32

353.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.33

$0.66 E£33.53

216.67%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.28

$1.21 E£61.6

140.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$212

$3.77 E£192

231.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.48 E£228

125.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$9.64 E£491

64.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.2

$1.63 E£83.0

103.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.03

$0.73 E£37.25

191.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.11

$0.58 E£29.70

277.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.46

$0.35 E£17.89

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.08

$0.25 E£12.58

776.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.27

$0.31 E£15.62

512.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$0.29 E£14.81

458.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.87

$0.20 E£10.16

575.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.9

$1.96 E£99.6

177.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$298

$5.78 E£294

204.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.03

$1.30 E£66.3

59.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.4

$2.15 E£109

120.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.76

$0.20 E£10.07

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.57

$0.40 E£20.35

410.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.20 E£10.07

190.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$1.60 E£81.6

273.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$0.47 E£23.86

244.68%

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

$22.8K MX$386.4K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-31.27%

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

$26.7K MX$451.7K

$28.9K E£1.5M

-7.63%

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

$65.2 MX$1,105

$14.30 E£727

356.22%

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

$29.87 MX$506

$7.36 E£375

305.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$619

$13.74 E£699

166.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,033

$19.22 E£978

217.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$452

$1.03 E£52.2

2492.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$2.89 E£147

137.02%

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

$453 MX$7,681

$85.9 E£4,372

427.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.5K

$2,192 E£111.5K

510.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,270

$32.63 E£1,660

129.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$937

$44.97 E£2,287

22.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,925

$118 E£6,028

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,078

$53.9 E£2,741

127.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$142 E£7,223

698.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.1K

$80.1 E£4,075

789.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.6K

$268 E£13.7K

857.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$151 E£7,706

765.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.6K

$787 E£40.1K

407.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.5K

$436 E£22.2K

380.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

16.21

-30.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $142 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $130 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 251% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $469 including rent). Qalyub is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $704 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $142 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $85.9 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 $17.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $469 in Qalyub versus $1,646 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 251% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.