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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,303 in Sun City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,006 in Sun City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,709 in Sun City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in Sun City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Sun City is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$12.67 R 206

-5.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$48.01 R 780

7.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$7.55 R 123

51.13%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.56 R 41.67

55.86%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.20 R 19.53

38.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$1.00 R 16.21

33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.13 R 34.65

62.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.88 R 46.82

104.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.35 R 21.99

39.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.32 R 21.37

146.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.80 R 29.25

20.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.68 R 43.56

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.95 R 145

43.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.80 R 94.2

73.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$8.81 R 143

80.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.19 R 35.64

50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.95 R 31.71

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.90 R 30.87

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$2.13 R 34.62

10.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.78 R 28.88

15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.89 R 30.67

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.49 R 24.16

8.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$1.37 R 22.25

2.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$3.36 R 54.6

62.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$6.10 R 99.0

189.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.85 R 30.13

11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$2.45 R 39.85

91.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.54 R 25.03

-77.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.97 R 15.78

116.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.93 R 15.07

-39.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$15.10 R 245

-61.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.54 R 25.01

4.55%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$37.1K R 602.5K

-38.41%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$33.1K R 538.0K

-19.21%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$229 R 3,716

-71.50%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$38.00 R 617

-20.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$38.27 R 622

-2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$33.47 R 544

78.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$8.38 R 136

-15.99%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$253 R 4,103

83.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$5,666 R 92.1K

134.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$59.3 R 964

27.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$46.87 R 761

19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$108 R 1,754

3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$109 R 1,771

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$435 R 7,064

153.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$381 R 6,183

89.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$798 R 13.0K

217.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$774 R 12.6K

67.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$903 R 14.7K

342.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$684 R 11.1K

205.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.91

3.57%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sun City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $435 in Sun City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $48.00 in Sun City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $226 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,303 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,954 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $435 in Sun City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $253 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 $48.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,303 in Sun City versus $1,660 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.