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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $869 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,515 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,161 in Rabat.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than in Rabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Rabat is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.21 MAD 39.60

188.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$43.15 MAD 406

24.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.38 MAD 69.4

50.27%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.93 MAD 18.12

112.44%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.64 MAD 6.01

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.35 MAD 3.25

297.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$5.35 MAD 50.3

-37.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.29 MAD 30.95

78.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$0.85 MAD 8.03

117.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.68 MAD 6.40

366.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.89 MAD 17.73

9.52%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.98 MAD 18.65

47.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.90 MAD 112

5.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.68 MAD 62.7

51.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$12.45 MAD 117

29.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.71 MAD 16.05

98.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.46 MAD 13.73

42.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$0.88 MAD 8.23

140.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$0.92 MAD 8.61

161.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.75 MAD 7.07

184.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.77 MAD 7.20

161.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.42 MAD 3.92

269.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.59 MAD 5.54

130.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.23 MAD 39.71

36.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.84 MAD 73.7

126.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$2.68 MAD 25.18

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.69 MAD 25.24

71.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.55 MAD 5.19

-32.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$26.52 MAD 249

-20.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.72 MAD 6.74

184.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.90 MAD 8.44

-35.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$4.15 MAD 39.00

46.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.57 MAD 14.80

-1.27%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$34.6K MAD 324.7K

-33.79%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$31.5K MAD 295.8K

-13.48%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$35.38 MAD 333

90.53%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$10.58 MAD 99.4

189.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$33.25 MAD 312

12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$30.18 MAD 284

103.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$27.55 MAD 259

-1.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$6.52 MAD 61.3

9.05%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$186 MAD 1,745

145.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$7,068 MAD 66.4K

93.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$50.3 MAD 473

47.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$44.47 MAD 418

28.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$93.4 MAD 878

23.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$69.0 MAD 648

76.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$519 MAD 4,877

121.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$278 MAD 2,609

155.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,114 MAD 10.5K

131.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$674 MAD 6,329

92.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,018 MAD 19.0K

98.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,187 MAD 11.2K

79.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$749 MAD 7,036

44.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.52

150.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rabat: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $519 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 45% 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 Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $210 per month, with Rabat 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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rabat differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $869 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $519 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rabat runs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $186 in Rabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $869 in Rabat versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rabat but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rabat 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 Rabat 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 Rabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.