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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Shaab versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,321 in Shaab versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,263 in Shaab versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Shaab costs roughly 6% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Shaab 3% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 KWD 3.09

$13.18 MX$228

-23.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 KWD 24.97

$53.9 MX$932

51.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 KWD 2.69

$9.42 MX$163

-7.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 KWD 0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 KWD 1.10

Cappuccino

$5.86 KWD 1.80

$3.55 MX$61.4

65.07%

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

$0.68 KWD 0.21

$1.62 MX$27.98

-58.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$1.11 MX$19.27

-65.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$1.70 MX$29.43

-5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 KWD 0.38

$2.72 MX$47.02

-54.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$1.91 MX$33.07

-9.42%

Eggs

$2.09 KWD 0.64

$2.54 MX$43.86

-17.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.17 KWD 1.58

$10.03 MX$174

-48.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 KWD 2.02

$8.09 MX$140

-18.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 KWD 3.14

$11.62 MX$201

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 KWD 0.76

$2.97 MX$51.3

-17.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$1.81 MX$31.24

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$2.01 MX$34.82

-10.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 KWD 0.46

$2.03 MX$35.20

-26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 KWD 0.38

$2.12 MX$36.75

-41.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 KWD 0.39

$2.27 MX$39.25

-44.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$1.40 MX$24.22

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$1.13 MX$19.55

-60.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 KWD 0.92

$4.27 MX$73.9

-29.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 KWD 0.27

$0.38 MX$6.62

136.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.00 KWD 13.80

$19.18 MX$332

134.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

$1.38 MX$23.79

139.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 KWD 1.00

$0.28 MX$4.78

1064.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.30 KWD 5.00

$5.45 MX$94.2

199.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.30 MX$22.55

-72.31%

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

$21.3K KWD 6,525

$18.7K MX$323.2K

13.84%

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

$19.9K KWD 6,114

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-13.81%

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

$62.6 KWD 19.20

$40.86 MX$707

53.21%

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

$18.95 KWD 5.81

$26.81 MX$464

-29.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.89 KWD 7.94

$29.96 MX$518

-13.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.5 KWD 28.97

$52.0 MX$900

81.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.50 KWD 13.95

$26.84 MX$464

69.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 KWD 3.53

$6.30 MX$109

82.86%

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

$407 KWD 125

$436 MX$7,544

-6.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,485 KWD 1,989

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-37.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.61 KWD 13.07

$56.7 MX$980

-24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.28 KWD 12.97

$44.38 MX$768

-4.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 KWD 26.41

$103 MX$1,780

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 KWD 24.86

$106 MX$1,825

-23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 KWD 239

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 KWD 185

$631 MX$10.9K

-4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 KWD 474

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 KWD 389

$1,243 MX$21.5K

2.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 KWD 987

$1,115 MX$19.3K

188.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

11.34

-37.04%

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

Last update for Shaab: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $779 in Shaab and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaab pays 189% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Shaab vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $288, with Shaab cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Shaab and Mexico City differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,378 vs $1,467 including rent). Shaab is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shaab pays 189% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $779 in Shaab versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shaab runs roughly 135% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $407 in Shaab versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,378 in Shaab versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shaab but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Shaab 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, Shaab 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 Shaab gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.