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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $690 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,125 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,560 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 113% more expensive than in Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Sharm El Sheikh is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$7.70 E£387

70.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$21.63 E£1,088

147.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.55 E£279

68.11%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.79 E£90.2

106.70%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.32 E£15.90

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.44 E£22.33

154.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$3.01 E£151

4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$4.79 E£241

1.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.90 E£45.48

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.63 E£31.50

330.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.70 E£35.41

172.86%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.35 E£67.7

91.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$3.39 E£171

189.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.93 E£197

114.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$8.41 E£423

41.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.60 E£80.3

84.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$0.47 E£23.63

270.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.48 E£24.05

325.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.31 E£15.63

564.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.37 E£18.70

481.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.43 E£21.82

425.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.22 E£11.04

531.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.18 E£9.30

522.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.63 E£82.0

158.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.37 E£68.8

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.87 E£94.1

94.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.09 E£4.66

288.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.38 E£19.36

263.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.29 E£14.48

-3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$1.94 E£97.6

172.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.33 E£16.58

312.12%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-45.27%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-28.76%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$11.71 E£589

246.11%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$11.21 E£564

144.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$28.06 E£1,411

8.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$15.02 E£755

247.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$5.99 E£301

342.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$3.42 E£172

80.99%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$116 E£5,811

267.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$1,853 E£93.2K

479.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$27.61 E£1,389

111.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$48.34 E£2,432

-7.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$107 E£5,393

-3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$51.2 E£2,575

112.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$362 E£18.2K

180.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$275 E£13.8K

126.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$636 E£32.0K

233.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$547 E£27.5K

123.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$930 E£46.8K

307.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$653 E£32.9K

222.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$155 E£7,804

578.16%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $362 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 578% 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 $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 113% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $690 including rent). Sharm El Sheikh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 578% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $362 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $116 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $690 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,472 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 113% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.