Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sharm El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sharm El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $699 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,102 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,504 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 107% more expensive than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Sharm El Sheikh is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$8.02 E£410

61.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$21.68 E£1,107

142.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$5.38 E£275

75.28%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$1.82 E£92.8

96.15%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.32 E£16.13

403.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.44 E£22.67

161.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$3.03 E£154

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$4.83 E£247

0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$0.92 E£47.17

84.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.62 E£31.56

325.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$0.65 E£33.10

192.31%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$1.32 E£67.3

92.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$3.31 E£169

204.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$3.92 E£200

111.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$8.37 E£428

38.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.62 E£82.8

87.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$0.47 E£23.99

263.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$0.51 E£26.14

301.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$0.31 E£16.08

564.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.38 E£19.18

442.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$0.40 E£20.55

442.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.22 E£11.17

536.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.19 E£9.71

489.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$1.69 E£86.3

153.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.31 E£66.9

27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.81 E£92.3

103.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.10 E£4.91

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.42 E£21.25

228.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.31 E£15.99

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$1.93 E£98.8

180.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.32 E£16.58

300.00%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-46.90%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$32.5K E£1.7M

-27.92%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$11.78 E£602

248.22%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$11.17 E£571

141.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$28.56 E£1,459

3.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$15.15 E£774

245.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$6.12 E£313

328.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$3.48 E£178

77.59%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$115 E£5,855

272.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$1,865 E£95.3K

473.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$27.99 E£1,429

103.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$49.24 E£2,515

-8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$109 E£5,581

-4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$50.7 E£2,587

109.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$370 E£18.9K

168.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$275 E£14.0K

126.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$636 E£32.5K

234.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$556 E£28.4K

125.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$974 E£49.8K

300.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$696 E£35.5K

201.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$152 E£7,777

627.11%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 627% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $108 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sharm El Sheikh differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $699 including rent). Sharm El Sheikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 627% more on average, 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $115 in Sharm El Sheikh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $699 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharm El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.