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: $568 in Ouarzazate versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $907 in Ouarzazate versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

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

Living in Ouarzazate costs roughly 61% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ouarzazate is 57% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.78 MAD 44.60

$13.14 MX$227

-63.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.98 MAD 102

$53.5 MX$926

-79.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.50 MAD 41.97

$9.33 MX$161

-51.77%

Cappuccino

$1.07 MAD 10.00

$3.70 MX$64.0

-71.08%

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

$0.42 MAD 3.92

$1.60 MX$27.76

-73.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MAD 3.32

$1.12 MX$19.34

-67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 MAD 26.28

$3.14 MX$54.3

-10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MAD 25.07

$4.85 MX$83.9

-44.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 MAD 7.20

$1.65 MX$28.61

-53.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 MAD 5.24

$2.71 MX$46.96

-79.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 MAD 13.55

$1.91 MX$33.03

-24.08%

Eggs

$1.66 MAD 15.46

$2.59 MX$44.81

-35.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 MAD 73.0

$9.81 MX$170

-20.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 MAD 38.65

$8.43 MX$146

-50.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.54 MAD 61.0

$11.93 MX$206

-45.18%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 MAD 9.08

$2.95 MX$51.1

-67.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MAD 12.95

$1.74 MX$30.10

-20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 MAD 5.85

$2.04 MX$35.38

-69.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MAD 6.33

$2.06 MX$35.64

-66.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 5.98

$2.15 MX$37.20

-70.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 MAD 4.28

$2.26 MX$39.02

-79.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.15

$1.39 MX$23.97

-83.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MAD 5.57

$1.12 MX$19.31

-46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MAD 40.01

$4.22 MX$73.0

1.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 MAD 76.5

$17.51 MX$303

-53.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 MAD 24.38

$1.71 MX$29.58

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MAD 28.43

$3.63 MX$62.8

-15.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MAD 4.41

$0.35 MX$6.10

34.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.20 MAD 151

$19.32 MX$334

-16.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.54 MAD 5.03

$1.38 MX$23.80

-60.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MAD 4.76

$0.28 MX$4.77

82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 MAD 25.89

$5.28 MX$91.3

-47.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.17

$1.36 MX$23.50

11.76%

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

$37.9K MAD 353.2K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

98.28%

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

$29.5K MAD 275.3K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

25.08%

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

$32.17 MAD 300

$40.53 MX$701

-20.63%

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

$5.41 MAD 50.5

$27.38 MX$474

-80.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.05 MAD 234

$30.38 MX$526

-17.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.08 MAD 141

$52.2 MX$903

-71.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.53 MAD 219

$26.48 MX$458

-11.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.82 MAD 35.60

$6.19 MX$107

-38.29%

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

$75.8 MAD 707

$425 MX$7,355

-82.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,303 MAD 58.8K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-41.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 MAD 363

$58.3 MX$1,009

-33.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 MAD 471

$44.57 MX$771

13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 MAD 468

$103 MX$1,791

-51.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 MAD 625

$109 MX$1,881

-38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 MAD 2,343

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-75.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 MAD 1,208

$623 MX$10.8K

-79.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MAD 4,676

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-76.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 MAD 2,880

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-74.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 MAD 11.5K

$3,792 MX$65.6K

-67.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$896 MAD 8,359

$2,110 MX$36.5K

-57.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

11.34

-58.11%

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

Last update for Ouarzazate: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $251 in Ouarzazate and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Ouarzazate vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $293 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 159% in total monthly costs ($568 vs $1,472 including rent). Ouarzazate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $852 in Ouarzazate and $2,208 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: $251 in Ouarzazate versus $1,014 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 19% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $75.8 in Ouarzazate versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $568 in Ouarzazate versus $1,472 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 159% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.