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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,105 in Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,581 in Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,056 in Sur.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than Sur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sur is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.86 OMR 1.49

241.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$25.74 OMR 9.91

109.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.74 OMR 2.98

21.71%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$4.85 OMR 1.87

-26.80%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.72 OMR 0.28

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.27 OMR 0.10

311.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$12.16 OMR 4.68

-74.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$11.80 OMR 4.54

-60.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.58 OMR 0.61

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.22 OMR 0.47

122.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.74 OMR 0.67

9.77%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.03 OMR 0.78

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$3.82 OMR 1.47

162.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.04 OMR 1.94

60.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.29 OMR 3.19

40.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.37 OMR 0.91

25.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.32 OMR 0.51

37.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.06 OMR 0.41

89.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$0.75 OMR 0.29

170.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$0.77 OMR 0.29

175.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$0.54 OMR 0.21

320.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.03 OMR 0.40

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.54 OMR 0.21

109.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$6.36 OMR 2.45

-32.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$15.81 OMR 6.09

-1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$4.32 OMR 1.66

-59.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$7.90 OMR 3.04

-54.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$3.16 OMR 1.22

-56.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.80 OMR 0.31

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$10.55 OMR 4.06

-48.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$0.58 OMR 0.22

124.14%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$23.3K OMR 8,953

-19.64%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$21.4K OMR 8,231

8.19%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$79.8 OMR 30.73

-48.81%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$23.22 OMR 8.94

15.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$70.3 OMR 27.05

-57.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$86.1 OMR 33.13

-39.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.47 OMR 4.03

-39.83%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$195 OMR 75.0

123.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$6,463 OMR 2,488

61.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$51.0 OMR 19.63

11.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$39.75 OMR 15.30

11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$78.1 OMR 30.05

31.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$87.6 OMR 33.73

20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$258 OMR 99.2

296.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$265 OMR 102

137.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$468 OMR 180

356.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$391 OMR 150

218.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$571 OMR 220

584.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$522 OMR 201

295.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$2,659 OMR 1,024

-58.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.15

120.19%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sur: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $258 in Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $215 per month, with Sur 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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sur differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,105 including rent). Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sur earns 138% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $258 in Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $195 in Sur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sur – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,105 in Sur versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sur but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sur 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 Sur 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 Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.