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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,525 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,272 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,019 in Muscat.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 8% more expensive than in Muscat, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Muscat 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$5.34 OMR 2.06

126.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$34.00 OMR 13.09

53.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$7.74 OMR 2.98

40.83%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$4.73 OMR 1.82

-14.38%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.86 OMR 0.33

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.29 OMR 0.11

375.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$13.07 OMR 5.03

-73.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$12.79 OMR 4.92

-54.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.25 OMR 0.87

-17.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.25 OMR 0.48

157.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.90 OMR 0.73

10.00%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.94 OMR 1.13

-1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.65 OMR 2.94

63.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.57 OMR 2.53

53.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$10.54 OMR 4.06

50.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.41 OMR 1.31

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$2.00 OMR 0.77

6.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.32 OMR 0.89

-5.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.20 OMR 0.46

104.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.22 OMR 0.47

79.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.29 OMR 0.50

47.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.80 OMR 0.69

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.67 OMR 0.26

101.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$6.30 OMR 2.43

-13.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$15.43 OMR 5.94

14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$5.68 OMR 2.19

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$8.72 OMR 3.36

-45.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.29 OMR 0.49

-73.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$76.7 OMR 29.52

-71.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$3.21 OMR 1.24

-36.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.59 OMR 1.00

-77.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$7.82 OMR 3.01

-23.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.61 OMR 0.23

165.57%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$25.1K OMR 9,665

-9.13%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$22.2K OMR 8,564

19.86%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$170 OMR 65.5

-61.62%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$30.94 OMR 11.91

-3.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$69.9 OMR 26.92

-47.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$62.7 OMR 24.14

-2.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$29.20 OMR 11.24

-8.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-33.75%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$289 OMR 111

56.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$10.7K OMR 4,110

25.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$55.7 OMR 21.42

34.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$43.19 OMR 16.63

28.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$92.0 OMR 35.43

23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$96.0 OMR 36.95

27.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$673 OMR 259

68.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$455 OMR 175

56.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,366 OMR 526

88.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$857 OMR 330

52.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$2,835 OMR 1,092

40.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,595 OMR 614

31.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$1,660 OMR 639

-36.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.25

115.24%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $673 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $284 per month, with Muscat 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

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

Mexico City and Muscat differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,525 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Muscat. 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $673 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Muscat runs roughly 255% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $289 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,525 in Muscat versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat 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, Mexico City and Muscat 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.