Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Setif

For one person, living is cheaper in Setif: $412 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Setif
Learn more

Setif Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Setif

🇩🇿 Algeria

$412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Setif

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Setif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $412 in Setif.

Mexico City $1,548
Setif $412

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $683 in Setif.

Mexico City $2,436
Setif $683

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $953 in Setif.

Mexico City $3,323
Setif $953

Living in Mexico City is roughly 275% more expensive than in Setif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Setif is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$3.11 DZD 416

254.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$15.82 DZD 2,118

207.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$3.54 DZD 474

207.91%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$0.58 DZD 78.0

534.48%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.64 DZD 85.9

154.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.17 DZD 23.39

635.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.37 DZD 184

137.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.12 DZD 284

160.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.73 DZD 97.1

132.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$0.15 DZD 19.48

1913.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.04 DZD 139

84.62%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$0.84 DZD 113

225.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$6.46 DZD 865

82.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.00 DZD 535

138.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$14.51 DZD 1,943

-0.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.03 DZD 271

48.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.81 DZD 376

-32.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$1.13 DZD 151

76.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$0.81 DZD 108

170.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$0.48 DZD 64.9

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.45 DZD 60.7

315.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.41 DZD 54.3

251.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.20 DZD 26.95

535.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.66 DZD 356

96.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$5.34 DZD 715

202.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.27 DZD 170

49.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.95 DZD 262

116.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.12 DZD 15.86

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$5.64 DZD 755

248.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.58 DZD 77.8

244.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.36 DZD 48.66

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$4.81 DZD 644

11.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.32 DZD 43.41

375.00%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$28.2K DZD 3.8M

-21.81%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$20.1K DZD 2.7M

21.87%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$35.09 DZD 4,698

74.04%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$9.61 DZD 1,287

197.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$12.55 DZD 1,680

174.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$17.42 DZD 2,332

223.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$5.64 DZD 755

341.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$4.56 DZD 610

46.05%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$551 DZD 73.7K

-22.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$6,358 DZD 851.2K

83.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$17.14 DZD 2,295

295.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$15.41 DZD 2,063

237.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$33.52 DZD 4,488

216.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$56.0 DZD 7,491

101.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$67.6 DZD 9,047

1416.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$46.38 DZD 6,209

1310.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$129 DZD 17.3K

1684.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$112 DZD 15.0K

1010.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$337 DZD 45.1K

972.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$294 DZD 39.3K

228.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.3

113.21%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Setif: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Setif

$46 11.2% 92.9% $608

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Setif

$162 39.3% 49.1% $156

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Setif

$57 13.8% 72.1% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Setif

$55 13.3% 63.9% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Setif

$57 13.9% 53.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Setif

$27 6.4% 61.9% $43

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Setif

$8.5 2.1% 66.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $67.6 in Setif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 228% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Setif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $162 per month, with Setif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇩🇿 Setif

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

23:06 11:06 PM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

288,461

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Setif 9,970 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Setif

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Setif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Setif differ by about 275% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $412 including rent). Setif is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 228% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $67.6 in Setif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Setif runs roughly 248% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $551 in Setif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $412 in Setif versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Setif but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Setif 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 Setif 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 Setif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 275% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.