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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $724 in Ouarzazate versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,136 in Ouarzazate versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,548 in Ouarzazate versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Ouarzazate costs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ouarzazate is 47% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MAD 34.12

$11.92 MX$206

-69.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.85 MAD 302

$51.6 MX$890

-38.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.25 MAD 59.3

$11.41 MX$197

-45.22%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MAD 21.19

$3.99 MX$68.9

-44.11%

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

$0.65 MAD 6.21

$1.66 MX$28.61

-60.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MAD 3.56

$1.33 MX$22.87

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.00 MAD 66.4

$3.47 MX$59.9

101.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 MAD 52.8

$5.90 MX$102

-5.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 7.89

$1.88 MX$32.36

-55.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MAD 7.76

$3.25 MX$56.1

-74.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MAD 15.21

$2.16 MX$37.26

-25.93%

Eggs

$1.53 MAD 14.49

$2.90 MX$49.94

-47.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 MAD 74.1

$12.86 MX$222

-39.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 MAD 44.37

$10.05 MX$173

-53.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.86 MAD 113

$15.86 MX$273

-25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.25

$3.29 MX$56.8

-76.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 MAD 11.70

$2.01 MX$34.60

-38.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 MAD 6.19

$2.20 MX$37.93

-70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 MAD 7.72

$2.36 MX$40.63

-65.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.59

$2.05 MX$35.43

-66.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 7.93

$1.90 MX$32.79

-55.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.17

$1.61 MX$27.68

-85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MAD 5.46

$1.40 MX$24.09

-58.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MAD 39.60

$5.46 MX$94.2

-23.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 MAD 74.2

$17.65 MX$304

-55.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 MAD 22.74

$2.06 MX$35.44

16.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 MAD 32.21

$4.68 MX$80.8

-27.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.71

$0.34 MX$5.84

47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.70 MAD 158

$20.81 MX$359

-19.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 MAD 4.92

$2.10 MX$36.15

-75.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.10

$0.56 MX$9.64

14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 MAD 69.8

$5.81 MX$100

26.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.42

$1.61 MX$27.68

-5.59%

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

$35.4K MAD 335.8K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

55.01%

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

$30.4K MAD 288.4K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

13.66%

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

$36.93 MAD 350

$65.2 MX$1,124

-43.34%

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

$5.12 MAD 48.55

$30.09 MX$519

-82.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.66 MAD 253

$37.18 MX$641

-28.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.09 MAD 247

$59.8 MX$1,030

-56.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.47 MAD 194

$26.55 MX$458

-22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 MAD 61.4

$7.04 MX$121

-8.10%

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

$100 MAD 953

$465 MX$8,012

-78.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,459 MAD 80.2K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-36.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.84 MAD 311

$75.9 MX$1,308

-56.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.96 MAD 436

$56.0 MX$965

-17.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 MAD 803

$112 MX$1,929

-24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 MAD 811

$121 MX$2,078

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 MAD 2,569

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-75.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 MAD 1,623

$721 MX$12.4K

-76.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$545 MAD 5,166

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-78.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 MAD 2,952

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-75.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,222 MAD 11.6K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-69.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$847 MAD 8,035

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-59.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.3

-69.03%

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

Last update for Ouarzazate: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Ouarzazate and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ouarzazate vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $345 per month, with Ouarzazate 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

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

Ouarzazate and Mexico City differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($724 vs $1,660 including rent). Ouarzazate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,085 in Ouarzazate and $2,489 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $271 in Ouarzazate versus $1,103 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 25% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $100 in Ouarzazate versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $724 in Ouarzazate versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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.

Safety-wise, Ouarzazate and Mexico City 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 Ouarzazate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.