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: $869 in Rabat versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,515 in Rabat versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,161 in Rabat versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Rabat costs roughly 48% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rabat is 37% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 MAD 39.60

$12.14 MX$206

-65.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.15 MAD 406

$53.9 MX$914

-19.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 MAD 69.4

$11.09 MX$188

-33.45%

Cappuccino

$1.93 MAD 18.12

$4.10 MX$69.5

-52.93%

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

$0.64 MAD 6.01

$1.68 MX$28.53

-61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MAD 3.25

$1.39 MX$23.55

-74.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 MAD 50.3

$3.33 MX$56.5

60.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MAD 30.95

$5.88 MX$99.7

-44.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 MAD 8.03

$1.85 MX$31.41

-54.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MAD 6.40

$3.17 MX$53.8

-78.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MAD 17.73

$2.07 MX$35.13

-8.70%

Eggs

$1.98 MAD 18.65

$2.93 MX$49.67

-32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.90 MAD 112

$12.59 MX$214

-5.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 MAD 62.7

$10.11 MX$172

-33.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.45 MAD 117

$16.09 MX$273

-22.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 MAD 16.05

$3.39 MX$57.5

-49.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MAD 13.73

$2.08 MX$35.26

-29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 MAD 8.23

$2.12 MX$35.97

-58.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 MAD 8.61

$2.41 MX$40.95

-61.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.07

$2.13 MX$36.11

-64.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.20

$2.01 MX$34.02

-61.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 MAD 3.92

$1.55 MX$26.21

-72.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.54

$1.36 MX$23.15

-56.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MAD 39.71

$5.77 MX$97.8

-26.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 MAD 73.7

$17.74 MX$301

-55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MAD 25.18

$2.07 MX$35.11

29.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MAD 25.24

$4.61 MX$78.3

-41.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MAD 5.19

$0.37 MX$6.21

48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.52 MAD 249

$21.18 MX$359

25.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 MAD 6.74

$2.05 MX$34.84

-64.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 MAD 8.44

$0.58 MX$9.79

55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 MAD 39.00

$6.07 MX$103

-31.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MAD 14.80

$1.55 MX$26.34

1.29%

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

$34.6K MAD 324.7K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

51.04%

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

$31.5K MAD 295.8K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

15.58%

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

$35.38 MAD 333

$67.4 MX$1,144

-47.52%

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

$10.58 MAD 99.4

$30.62 MX$520

-65.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.25 MAD 312

$37.24 MX$632

-10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.18 MAD 284

$61.5 MX$1,043

-50.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.55 MAD 259

$27.12 MX$460

1.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 MAD 61.3

$7.11 MX$121

-8.30%

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

$186 MAD 1,745

$456 MX$7,739

-59.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,068 MAD 66.4K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-48.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 MAD 473

$74.2 MX$1,259

-32.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.47 MAD 418

$57.0 MX$967

-22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 MAD 878

$115 MX$1,958

-19.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 MAD 648

$122 MX$2,061

-43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MAD 4,877

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-54.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 MAD 2,609

$709 MX$12.0K

-60.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 MAD 10.5K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-56.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 MAD 6,329

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-47.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,018 MAD 19.0K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-49.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,187 MAD 11.2K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-44.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MAD 7,036

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-30.81%

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 Rabat: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Rabat and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 45% 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: $43.00 in Rabat vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $345 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 93% in total monthly costs ($869 vs $1,677 including rent). Rabat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $519 in Rabat 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 Rabat 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 $186 in Rabat versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $869 in Rabat versus $1,677 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 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.