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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $401 in Sabratha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $595 in Sabratha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $789 in Sabratha.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 318% more expensive than in Sabratha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Sabratha is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.14 LYD 19.82

286.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$9.28 LYD 58.6

480.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$1.61 LYD 10.18

588.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 LYD 3.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.11

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$0.47 LYD 2.98

772.34%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.30 LYD 1.87

460.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.08 LYD 0.49

1637.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$0.94 LYD 5.94

96.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.22 LYD 1.39

1340.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.13 LYD 7.14

83.19%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.35 LYD 8.49

117.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$4.98 LYD 31.44

152.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.26 LYD 20.55

210.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.59 LYD 60.6

67.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.00 LYD 12.63

69.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.55 LYD 9.80

34.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$0.77 LYD 4.83

175.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$0.51 LYD 3.24

372.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$0.46 LYD 2.89

363.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$0.32 LYD 2.05

528.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.32 LYD 2.03

384.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.15 LYD 0.92

806.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.85 LYD 11.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 LYD 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 LYD 5.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$1.85 LYD 11.67

211.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.82 LYD 5.20

-54.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.81 LYD 5.10

153.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.30 LYD 1.89

93.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$0.82 LYD 5.20

640.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.02 LYD 0.14

7650.00%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$23.4K LYD 147.6K

-2.20%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$14.2K LYD 89.6K

91.85%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$95.0 LYD 599

-29.00%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$3.87 LYD 24.40

691.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$13.89 LYD 87.7

168.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$11.04 LYD 69.7

456.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$7.73 LYD 48.76

250.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

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

$456 MX$7,739

$38.67 LYD 244

1079.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$607 LYD 3,832

2155.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$20.00 LYD 126

270.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$17.29 LYD 109

229.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$55.6 LYD 351

107.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$15.56 LYD 98.2

680.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$156 LYD 985

635.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$78.3 LYD 494

805.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$240 LYD 1,518

971.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$110 LYD 696

1074.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$287 LYD 1,812

1295.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$186 LYD 1,175

1043.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$188 LYD 1,189

474.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sabratha: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $156 in Sabratha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 474% 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 $9.00 in Sabratha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $112 per month, with Sabratha 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 Sabratha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sabratha differ by about 318% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $401 including rent). Sabratha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 474% 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 $156 in Sabratha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $38.67 in Sabratha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sabratha – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $401 in Sabratha versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sabratha but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sabratha 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 Sabratha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 318% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.