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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $986 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,582 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,178 in Sun City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 47% more expensive than Sun City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Sun City is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$11.32 R 183

14.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$45.35 R 733

16.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.90 R 79.2

92.45%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.25 R 36.42

58.67%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.99 R 16.00

62.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.75 R 12.15

53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.69 R 43.54

17.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.58 R 41.69

88.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.09 R 17.57

55.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.75 R 12.09

252.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.66 R 26.89

14.46%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.53 R 40.91

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.30 R 134

21.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.84 R 78.2

71.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$6.79 R 110

70.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.61 R 26.09

88.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.48 R 23.99

15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.47 R 23.76

39.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.65 R 26.67

24.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.48 R 23.97

39.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.43 R 23.15

51.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.05 R 16.99

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.96 R 15.53

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.03 R 48.92

41.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$6.18 R 99.9

149.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.29 R 20.88

29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.58 R 25.61

133.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.66 R 26.88

-77.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.09 R 17.60

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.94 R 15.23

-70.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$4.12 R 66.6

31.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.23 R 19.93

4.07%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$22.6K R 365.2K

-15.96%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$23.7K R 382.4K

-0.81%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$96.7 R 1,563

-57.58%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$39.97 R 646

-32.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$43.58 R 705

-31.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$31.46 R 509

66.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$3.11 R 50.2

98.71%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$209 R 3,386

103.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,822 R 78.0K

121.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$50.4 R 815

12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$32.92 R 532

36.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$67.8 R 1,096

54.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$78.3 R 1,266

35.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$361 R 5,832

175.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$340 R 5,491

82.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$693 R 11.2K

206.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$684 R 11.1K

83.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$949 R 15.3K

311.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$699 R 11.3K

199.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.51

-1.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sun City: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $361 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $181 per month, with Sun City 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 Sun City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sun City differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $986 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,478 in Sun City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $361 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $209 in Sun City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sun City – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Sun City versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sun City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sun City 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 Sun 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 Sun City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.