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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $1,011 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,628 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $2,246 in Sun City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than Sun City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sun City is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$11.41 R 185

13.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$45.13 R 730

15.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$4.92 R 79.6

96.95%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$2.27 R 36.82

65.20%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$1.02 R 16.58

52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.76 R 12.38

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$2.60 R 42.02

24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.56 R 41.46

91.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.10 R 17.88

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.75 R 12.07

256.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.67 R 26.98

13.17%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$2.47 R 39.99

2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$8.28 R 134

21.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$4.73 R 76.5

80.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$6.86 R 111

74.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$1.66 R 26.89

78.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.52 R 24.60

17.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$1.55 R 25.03

29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.64 R 26.55

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.49 R 24.09

44.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.46 R 23.59

55.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$1.04 R 16.89

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.89 R 14.42

24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$3.10 R 50.3

35.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$6.34 R 103

160.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.34 R 21.76

25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.66 R 26.79

116.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$1.67 R 26.96

-76.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.15 R 18.58

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.88 R 14.21

-65.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$4.09 R 66.3

31.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.29 R 20.83

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$22.1K R 357.8K

-14.51%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$23.6K R 382.7K

0.65%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$96.3 R 1,558

-58.60%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$41.13 R 666

-32.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$43.01 R 696

-30.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$31.62 R 512

64.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$3.02 R 48.94

107.62%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$205 R 3,320

110.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$4,835 R 78.3K

117.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$51.3 R 830

11.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$34.08 R 552

33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$67.3 R 1,089

51.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$79.0 R 1,279

37.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$358 R 5,795

177.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$336 R 5,436

83.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$684 R 11.1K

204.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$685 R 11.1K

83.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$911 R 14.8K

331.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$785 R 12.7K

166.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

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 14, 2026

Last update for Sun City: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $358 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $1,011 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $1,516 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $358 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $205 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Sun City versus $1,448 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 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.