Cost of Living Comparison Between Oued Zem and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Oued Zem and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $763 in Oued Zem versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,250 in Oued Zem versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Oued Zem versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Oued Zem costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oued Zem is 45% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.19 MAD 39.41

$12.14 MX$206

-65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.68 MAD 429

$53.9 MX$914

-15.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 MAD 70.6

$11.09 MX$188

-32.19%

Cappuccino

$2.01 MAD 18.89

$4.10 MX$69.5

-50.98%

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

$0.65 MAD 6.07

$1.68 MX$28.53

-61.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MAD 3.34

$1.39 MX$23.55

-74.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 MAD 49.40

$3.33 MX$56.5

57.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MAD 30.49

$5.88 MX$99.7

-44.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 MAD 8.65

$1.85 MX$31.41

-50.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MAD 6.17

$3.17 MX$53.8

-79.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MAD 18.22

$2.07 MX$35.13

-6.28%

Eggs

$2.00 MAD 18.79

$2.93 MX$49.67

-31.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 MAD 113

$12.59 MX$214

-4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 MAD 62.6

$10.11 MX$172

-34.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.66 MAD 119

$16.09 MX$273

-21.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 MAD 15.40

$3.39 MX$57.5

-51.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 13.81

$2.08 MX$35.26

-29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.28

$2.12 MX$35.97

-58.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 8.74

$2.41 MX$40.95

-61.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MAD 7.11

$2.13 MX$36.11

-64.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.30

$2.01 MX$34.02

-61.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 MAD 3.90

$1.55 MX$26.21

-73.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.77

$1.36 MX$23.15

-55.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MAD 39.96

$5.77 MX$97.8

-26.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 MAD 72.6

$17.74 MX$301

-56.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MAD 25.46

$2.07 MX$35.11

30.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MAD 26.33

$4.61 MX$78.3

-39.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MAD 5.14

$0.37 MX$6.21

48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.29 MAD 181

$21.18 MX$359

-8.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 MAD 6.94

$2.05 MX$34.84

-63.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 MAD 8.54

$0.58 MX$9.79

56.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 MAD 41.57

$6.07 MX$103

-27.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 MAD 15.00

$1.55 MX$26.34

3.23%

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

$36.0K MAD 337.9K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

57.18%

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

$32.8K MAD 308.4K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

20.52%

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

$36.54 MAD 343

$67.4 MX$1,144

-45.79%

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

$10.49 MAD 98.6

$30.62 MX$520

-65.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.61 MAD 316

$37.24 MX$632

-9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.79 MAD 252

$61.5 MX$1,043

-56.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.97 MAD 206

$27.12 MX$460

-18.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MAD 58.9

$7.11 MX$121

-11.81%

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

$190 MAD 1,782

$456 MX$7,739

-58.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,178 MAD 67.5K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-47.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 MAD 476

$74.2 MX$1,259

-31.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.58 MAD 428

$57.0 MX$967

-20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 MAD 877

$115 MX$1,958

-19.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 MAD 663

$122 MX$2,061

-41.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 MAD 2,558

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-76.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 MAD 1,612

$709 MX$12.0K

-75.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 MAD 4,591

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-81.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 MAD 2,548

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-79.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,242 MAD 11.7K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-69.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$863 MAD 8,114

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-59.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 MAD 2,343

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-76.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

11.3

-60.00%

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

Last update for Oued Zem: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $272 in Oued Zem and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 334% 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: $46.00 in Oued Zem vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $345 per month, with Oued Zem 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

Oued Zem vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oued Zem and Mexico City differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($763 vs $1,677 including rent). Oued Zem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 334% lower in Mexico City. 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: $272 in Oued Zem versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Oued Zem runs roughly 10% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $190 in Oued Zem versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $763 in Oued Zem versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oued Zem but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Oued Zem 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, Oued Zem 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 Oued Zem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.