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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,331 in Muscat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,982 in Muscat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,633 in Muscat.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 10% more expensive than Muscat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Muscat is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.29 OMR 2.04

149.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$26.39 OMR 10.16

104.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.84 OMR 3.02

20.15%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$4.95 OMR 1.90

-28.28%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.02 OMR 0.39

58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.34 OMR 0.13

226.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$12.16 OMR 4.68

-74.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$11.87 OMR 4.57

-60.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.00 OMR 0.77

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.20 OMR 0.46

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.70 OMR 0.65

12.35%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.45 OMR 0.94

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.84 OMR 1.48

161.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.16 OMR 1.98

56.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.46 OMR 3.26

37.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.54 OMR 0.98

16.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.72 OMR 0.66

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.77 OMR 0.68

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.13 OMR 0.44

79.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.00 OMR 0.38

112.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.02 OMR 0.39

122.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.03 OMR 0.40

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.56 OMR 0.22

101.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.22 OMR 2.39

-31.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$15.55 OMR 5.99

0.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$4.25 OMR 1.64

-58.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$7.90 OMR 3.04

-54.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-70.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$62.3 OMR 23.99

-69.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.16 OMR 1.22

-56.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.80 OMR 0.31

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-47.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.60 OMR 0.23

116.67%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.8K OMR 8,778

-18.04%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$21.8K OMR 8,405

5.94%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$107 OMR 41.32

-61.93%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$40.60 OMR 15.63

-33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$70.5 OMR 27.13

-57.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$47.24 OMR 18.19

10.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$22.99 OMR 8.85

16.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.47 OMR 4.03

-39.83%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$192 OMR 74.1

126.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$9,757 OMR 3,756

6.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$50.7 OMR 19.53

11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$39.51 OMR 15.21

12.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$79.4 OMR 30.56

29.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$90.0 OMR 34.66

17.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$619 OMR 238

65.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$410 OMR 158

53.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,222 OMR 470

74.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$730 OMR 281

70.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,666 OMR 1,026

46.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,552 OMR 597

33.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,654 OMR 637

-32.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.15

120.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Muscat: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $619 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $231 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,331 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Muscat earns 48% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $619 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 225% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $192 in Muscat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,331 in Muscat versus $1,467 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 10% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.