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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,086 in Salalah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,648 in Salalah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,209 in Salalah.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than Salalah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Salalah is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.35 OMR 2.06

146.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$26.28 OMR 10.12

105.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$12.82 OMR 4.93

-26.52%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$6.01 OMR 2.32

-40.93%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.64 OMR 0.25

153.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.25 OMR 0.10

344.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$9.21 OMR 3.55

-66.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$10.59 OMR 4.08

-56.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.69 OMR 0.65

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.28 OMR 0.49

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.11 OMR 0.81

-9.48%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.95 OMR 0.75

30.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.92 OMR 2.66

44.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.57 OMR 1.76

77.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.90 OMR 3.43

30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.13 OMR 0.82

39.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.11 OMR 0.43

63.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.61 OMR 0.62

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.20 OMR 0.46

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.14 OMR 0.44

85.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.78 OMR 0.30

191.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.54 OMR 0.21

159.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.58 OMR 0.22

94.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.75 OMR 2.21

-25.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$19.58 OMR 7.54

-20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$3.88 OMR 1.49

-54.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$4.65 OMR 1.79

-22.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.31 OMR 0.51

-70.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$55.7 OMR 21.44

-65.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.25 OMR 0.87

-38.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-77.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$11.58 OMR 4.46

-52.94%

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

$20.9K OMR 8,064

-10.78%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$18.0K OMR 6,917

28.75%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$65.8 OMR 25.32

-37.87%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$49.61 OMR 19.10

-45.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$76.6 OMR 29.48

-60.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$93.7 OMR 36.09

-44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$26.21 OMR 10.09

2.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.93 OMR 3.05

-20.55%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$111 OMR 42.88

291.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,377 OMR 915

338.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$27.90 OMR 10.74

103.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$31.60 OMR 12.17

40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$64.5 OMR 24.82

59.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$43.98 OMR 16.93

139.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$255 OMR 98.1

301.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$215 OMR 82.8

193.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$492 OMR 189

334.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$370 OMR 142

235.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,991 OMR 766

96.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,225 OMR 472

68.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,753 OMR 675

-36.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.58

147.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Salalah: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $255 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 57% 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 Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $228 per month, with Salalah 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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Salalah differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,086 including rent). Salalah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Salalah earns 57% 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 $255 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Salalah runs roughly 190% 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 $111 in Salalah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,086 in Salalah versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah 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 Salalah 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.