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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,020 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,603 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,186 in Sun City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 44% more expensive than in Sun City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Sun City is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$11.11 R 183

18.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$44.07 R 726

21.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$4.85 R 79.8

92.37%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.15 R 35.41

72.09%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.04 R 17.07

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.82 R 13.42

36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.58 R 42.55

21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.53 R 41.72

91.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.13 R 18.62

46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.79 R 13.09

243.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.65 R 27.08

15.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.45 R 40.26

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.02 R 132

22.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.78 R 78.7

76.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$6.70 R 110

78.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.68 R 27.60

75.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.46 R 24.09

19.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.55 R 25.46

31.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.68 R 27.61

22.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.46 R 24.00

47.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.44 R 23.70

56.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.09 R 17.99

27.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.91 R 14.96

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.04 R 50.1

38.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.93 R 97.6

195.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.34 R 22.07

27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.66 R 27.25

118.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.66 R 27.33

-78.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.11 R 18.19

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.90 R 14.85

-68.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$3.94 R 64.8

34.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.22 R 20.13

11.48%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$22.4K R 369.1K

-14.79%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$23.7K R 389.6K

-0.26%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$93.5 R 1,540

-56.66%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$40.98 R 675

-33.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$42.08 R 693

-27.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$31.19 R 513

67.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$3.03 R 49.90

104.29%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$203 R 3,349

108.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,849 R 79.8K

121.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$49.77 R 819

17.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$33.89 R 558

31.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$66.2 R 1,090

56.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$79.9 R 1,316

36.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$370 R 6,085

174.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$337 R 5,551

84.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$693 R 11.4K

205.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$690 R 11.4K

77.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$779 R 12.8K

386.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$706 R 11.6K

198.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Sun City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $370 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,020 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,530 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $370 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $203 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 $44.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,020 in Sun City versus $1,472 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 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.