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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $911 in Rabat versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,576 in Rabat versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,240 in Rabat versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Rabat costs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabat is 32% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 MAD 44.09

$13.07 MX$229

-63.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.72 MAD 454

$53.8 MX$940

-9.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 MAD 62.2

$9.68 MX$169

-31.10%

Cappuccino

$2.04 MAD 19.02

$3.74 MX$65.4

-45.45%

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

$0.63 MAD 5.86

$1.62 MX$28.25

-61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 MAD 3.78

$1.16 MX$20.31

-64.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MAD 52.5

$3.23 MX$56.4

74.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 MAD 38.93

$4.74 MX$82.9

-12.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 MAD 8.06

$1.65 MX$28.80

-47.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 MAD 4.36

$2.75 MX$48.15

-82.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MAD 17.43

$1.87 MX$32.77

Eggs

$1.92 MAD 17.94

$2.50 MX$43.72

-23.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 MAD 121

$10.20 MX$178

27.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 MAD 66.7

$8.25 MX$144

-13.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MAD 111

$11.82 MX$207

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 MAD 14.42

$3.01 MX$52.6

-48.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MAD 13.40

$1.81 MX$31.67

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 MAD 7.67

$2.00 MX$34.96

-59.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 MAD 7.37

$2.00 MX$34.89

-60.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.68

$2.08 MX$36.45

-65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.49

$2.27 MX$39.72

-69.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 MAD 3.95

$1.46 MX$25.47

-71.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 MAD 5.92

$1.08 MX$18.82

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MAD 40.92

$4.35 MX$76.0

0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 MAD 71.4

$16.99 MX$297

-54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MAD 25.29

$1.73 MX$30.31

56.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 MAD 22.83

$3.58 MX$62.5

-31.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MAD 4.93

$0.39 MX$6.77

35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.66 MAD 258

$18.69 MX$327

47.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 4.92

$1.33 MX$23.18

-60.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 MAD 8.23

$0.28 MX$4.89

214.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MAD 40.34

$5.25 MX$91.8

-17.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MAD 14.22

$1.34 MX$23.37

13.43%

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

$37.3K MAD 348.0K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

92.29%

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

$29.6K MAD 276.0K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

24.21%

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

$41.99 MAD 392

$40.69 MX$712

3.19%

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

$10.87 MAD 101

$26.87 MX$470

-59.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.97 MAD 373

$30.51 MX$534

31.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.61 MAD 285

$52.8 MX$923

-42.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.43 MAD 265

$26.65 MX$466

6.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MAD 60.5

$6.51 MX$114

-0.31%

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

$160 MAD 1,490

$428 MX$7,485

-62.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,628 MAD 61.8K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-36.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 MAD 501

$57.3 MX$1,001

-6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 MAD 458

$45.50 MX$796

8.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MAD 1,015

$104 MX$1,819

4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 MAD 914

$108 MX$1,885

-9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 MAD 4,279

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-54.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 MAD 2,414

$623 MX$10.9K

-58.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 MAD 10.4K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-46.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 MAD 6,955

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-38.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,090 MAD 19.5K

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-46.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 MAD 11.2K

$2,033 MX$35.5K

-40.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$739 MAD 6,891

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-28.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

11.34

-57.58%

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

Last update for Rabat: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Rabat and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 40% 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: $49.00 in Rabat vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $292 per month, with Rabat 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

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

Rabat and Mexico City differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($911 vs $1,456 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $459 in Rabat versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rabat runs roughly 48% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $160 in Rabat versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $911 in Rabat versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rabat but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rabat 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, Rabat 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 Rabat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.