Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouarzazate and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $706 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Ouarzazate
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Ouarzazate Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Ouarzazate

🇲🇦 Morocco

$706

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $706 in Ouarzazate versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Ouarzazate $706
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,099 in Ouarzazate versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Ouarzazate $1,099
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,492 in Ouarzazate versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Ouarzazate $1,492
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Ouarzazate costs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ouarzazate is 48% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 MAD 38.58

$10.62 MX$199

-62.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.65 MAD 301

$48.35 MX$908

-36.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 MAD 59.2

$10.35 MX$194

-41.84%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MAD 24.29

$3.69 MX$69.3

-33.06%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.46

$1.67 MX$31.29

-66.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.60

$1.27 MX$23.76

-70.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 MAD 64.5

$3.19 MX$59.9

105.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 MAD 54.8

$5.31 MX$99.6

5.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 MAD 7.81

$1.72 MX$32.38

-53.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MAD 8.38

$3.04 MX$57.1

-72.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 14.43

$1.94 MX$36.44

-24.23%

Eggs

$1.52 MAD 14.95

$2.89 MX$54.2

-47.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 MAD 75.1

$10.97 MX$206

-30.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MAD 43.69

$9.25 MX$174

-51.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 MAD 111

$15.13 MX$284

-25.38%

Apples (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 7.32

$3.05 MX$57.2

-75.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.34

$1.94 MX$36.45

-35.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.25

$2.03 MX$38.02

-68.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.03

$2.31 MX$43.46

-68.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$2.04 MX$38.21

-67.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.38

$1.80 MX$33.79

-58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.26

$1.48 MX$27.77

-84.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.97

$1.27 MX$23.80

-51.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 MAD 39.23

$5.30 MX$99.6

-24.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 MAD 75.5

$16.10 MX$302

-52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 MAD 21.92

$1.98 MX$37.23

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MAD 33.27

$4.25 MX$79.8

-20.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.94

$0.31 MX$5.73

61.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MAD 183

$19.73 MX$371

-5.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 5.19

$1.84 MX$34.50

-71.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MAD 6.10

$0.53 MX$10.02

16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 MAD 69.7

$5.30 MX$99.4

33.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MAD 13.84

$1.51 MX$28.36

-6.62%

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

$30.1K MAD 296.4K

$21.8K MX$408.4K

38.60%

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

$30.9K MAD 303.6K

$24.0K MX$450.3K

28.78%

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

$35.09 MAD 345

$63.0 MX$1,182

-44.28%

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

$4.96 MAD 48.75

$27.39 MX$514

-81.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.40 MAD 250

$35.67 MX$670

-28.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.27 MAD 248

$58.9 MX$1,107

-57.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 MAD 177

$23.64 MX$444

-23.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 63.0

$6.40 MX$120

0.16%

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

$98.6 MAD 969

$432 MX$8,103

-77.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,270 MAD 81.3K

$11.4K MX$214.5K

-27.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.20 MAD 307

$68.2 MX$1,281

-54.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 MAD 431

$53.1 MX$997

-17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 MAD 790

$108 MX$2,023

-25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 MAD 783

$117 MX$2,202

-32.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 MAD 2,730

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-75.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MAD 1,732

$710 MX$13.3K

-75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MAD 5,105

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-79.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MAD 2,606

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-81.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,196 MAD 11.8K

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-67.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$828 MAD 8,134

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-61.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 MAD 1,979

$946 MX$17.8K

-78.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.35

-60.35%

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

Last update for Ouarzazate: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ouarzazate

$176 24.9%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 303% $534

Groceries & Markets

Ouarzazate

$170 24%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 88.2% $150

Eating Out

Ouarzazate

$127 17.9%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 56.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Ouarzazate

$106 15%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 47.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ouarzazate

$65 9.3%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 92.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Ouarzazate

$38 5.4%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 88.4% $34

Getting Around

Ouarzazate

$24 3.4%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 4.8% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Ouarzazate and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Ouarzazate vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $320 per month, with Ouarzazate cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Ouarzazate

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

06:15 6:15 AM

6 h behind Ouarzazate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,067

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

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Between locations

Ouarzazate Mexico City 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ouarzazate
Mexico City

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

Ouarzazate vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $706 in Ouarzazate and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Ouarzazate is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Ouarzazate. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Ouarzazate versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ouarzazate runs roughly 5% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $99 in Ouarzazate versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Ouarzazate versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Ouarzazate but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.