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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,008 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,591 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,174 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 11% above, Sun City is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$10.99 R 184

18.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$45.62 R 765

16.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.96 R 83.1

95.97%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.22 R 37.28

68.92%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.02 R 17.18

53.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.76 R 12.76

48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.74 R 45.89

16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.49 R 41.73

87.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.09 R 18.27

48.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.75 R 12.53

261.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.66 R 27.80

13.25%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.45 R 41.16

2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.05 R 135

25.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.83 R 80.9

71.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$6.79 R 114

75.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.67 R 28.01

71.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.52 R 25.46

15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.52 R 25.50

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.59 R 26.72

23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.49 R 24.99

44.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.45 R 24.38

50.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.06 R 17.76

31.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.96 R 16.06

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.05 R 51.1

37.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$5.94 R 99.7

139.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.35 R 22.66

30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.65 R 27.64

123.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.61 R 26.92

-75.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.09 R 18.34

27.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.91 R 15.22

-67.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$3.99 R 66.9

35.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.29 R 21.58

4.65%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.3K R 373.8K

-15.28%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$24.0K R 402.0K

-3.42%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$96.7 R 1,622

-57.80%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$40.11 R 673

-31.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$43.32 R 727

-29.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$30.75 R 516

73.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$3.04 R 51.1

106.25%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$210 R 3,522

107.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,957 R 83.1K

111.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$50.3 R 844

12.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$33.58 R 563

33.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$67.3 R 1,128

52.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$77.2 R 1,294

39.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$364 R 6,099

174.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$337 R 5,657

83.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$698 R 11.7K

206.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$684 R 11.5K

80.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$701 R 11.8K

451.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$714 R 12.0K

226.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,512 R 25.4K

-29.44%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sun City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $364 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sun City pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $46.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $180 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 ($1,484 vs $1,008 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sun City earns 42% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $364 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $210 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 $46.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,008 in Sun City versus $1,484 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.