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: $571 in Ouarzazate versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $922 in Ouarzazate versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,273 in Ouarzazate versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Ouarzazate costs roughly 62% 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

$4.75 MAD 43.92

$12.98 MX$227

-63.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.07 MAD 102

$53.1 MX$929

-79.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 MAD 41.20

$9.72 MX$170

-54.22%

Cappuccino

$1.07 MAD 9.89

$3.75 MX$65.6

-71.47%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.27

$1.57 MX$27.46

-70.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MAD 3.01

$1.13 MX$19.76

-70.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MAD 24.72

$3.18 MX$55.7

-16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MAD 24.73

$4.66 MX$81.6

-42.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 MAD 7.47

$1.62 MX$28.37

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 MAD 4.92

$2.71 MX$47.36

-80.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MAD 14.10

$1.88 MX$32.89

-19.15%

Eggs

$1.63 MAD 15.11

$2.51 MX$43.90

-35.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 MAD 72.3

$10.08 MX$176

-22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 MAD 37.00

$8.29 MX$145

-51.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 MAD 61.8

$11.94 MX$209

-44.05%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.49

$2.86 MX$50.1

-67.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MAD 12.76

$1.75 MX$30.62

-21.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 5.94

$2.08 MX$36.48

-69.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 MAD 6.35

$1.97 MX$34.46

-64.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 5.91

$2.16 MX$37.79

-70.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 MAD 4.27

$2.18 MX$38.16

-78.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.21 MAD 1.94

$1.39 MX$24.34

-84.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 MAD 5.76

$1.12 MX$19.69

-44.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MAD 39.75

$4.20 MX$73.5

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 MAD 73.8

$14.25 MX$249

-44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 MAD 24.99

$1.76 MX$30.85

53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 MAD 27.10

$3.68 MX$64.5

-20.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MAD 4.68

$0.39 MX$6.74

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.15 MAD 149

$18.66 MX$327

-13.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 MAD 5.27

$1.39 MX$24.26

-58.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MAD 4.41

$0.30 MX$5.32

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 MAD 25.02

$5.42 MX$94.9

-50.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MAD 14.48

$1.35 MX$23.63

16.30%

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

$37.2K MAD 344.3K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

97.12%

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

$30.3K MAD 280.3K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

30.88%

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

$32.25 MAD 298

$40.82 MX$714

-20.99%

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

$5.32 MAD 49.17

$27.50 MX$481

-80.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.24 MAD 224

$30.38 MX$532

-20.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.54 MAD 144

$53.4 MX$935

-70.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 MAD 213

$26.30 MX$460

-12.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 MAD 36.23

$6.27 MX$110

-37.48%

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

$76.2 MAD 705

$436 MX$7,632

-82.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,286 MAD 58.1K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-39.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.02 MAD 361

$56.8 MX$993

-31.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.86 MAD 461

$44.79 MX$784

11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.44 MAD 448

$103 MX$1,799

-52.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.1 MAD 602

$108 MX$1,888

-39.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 MAD 2,249

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-75.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 MAD 1,232

$620 MX$10.9K

-78.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MAD 4,706

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-76.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MAD 2,849

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-75.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,599 MAD 14.8K

$3,865 MX$67.6K

-58.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$941 MAD 8,703

$2,332 MX$40.8K

-59.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Ouarzazate and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Ouarzazate vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $286 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 160% in total monthly costs ($571 vs $1,484 including rent). Ouarzazate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $856 in Ouarzazate and $2,225 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: $243 in Ouarzazate versus $1,000 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 16% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $76.2 in Ouarzazate versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $571 in Ouarzazate versus $1,484 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 160% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.