Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Surat

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $799 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Surat

🇮🇳 India

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Surat

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Surat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $799 in Surat.

Mexico City $1,608
Surat $799

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $853 in Surat.

Mexico City $2,549
Surat $853

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $906 in Surat.

Mexico City $3,490
Surat $906

Living in Mexico City is roughly 101% more expensive than in Surat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Surat is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$3.14 ₹298

238.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$10.59 ₹1,007

356.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$3.22 ₹306

221.43%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$1.76 ₹167

109.66%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$0.39 ₹37.19

328.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$0.14 ₹13.61

807.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

$3.21 ₹305

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

$3.39 ₹323

56.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$0.72 ₹68.3

138.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$0.46 ₹43.86

560.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$0.72 ₹68.6

169.44%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$0.90 ₹85.7

221.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$4.63 ₹440

136.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$2.74 ₹261

237.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$1.67 ₹159

82.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$0.57 ₹54.6

240.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

$0.76 ₹72.0

167.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$0.55 ₹52.2

320.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

$0.39 ₹36.84

423.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$0.43 ₹41.06

318.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

$0.46 ₹44.22

221.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$0.30 ₹28.09

323.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$4.94 ₹470

7.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

$7.81 ₹743

106.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

$1.86 ₹177

6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

$3.05 ₹290

39.34%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.18 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

$0.20 ₹19.02

55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

$3.21 ₹306

514.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

$0.56 ₹53.6

228.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

$0.22 ₹20.94

140.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

$1.08 ₹102

390.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

$1.13 ₹108

33.63%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

91.31%

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

$18.3K ₹1.7M

30.89%

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

$36.87 ₹3,507

70.82%

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

$27.39 MX$512

$3.56 ₹338

669.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

$7.44 ₹707

379.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

$18.56 ₹1,765

217.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

$5.45 ₹518

333.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$2.98 ₹284

114.77%

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

$432 MX$8,065

$32.79 ₹3,118

1216.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

$937 ₹89.1K

1119.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

$22.65 ₹2,154

201.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

$24.76 ₹2,354

114.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

$40.73 ₹3,874

164.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

$32.31 ₹3,073

262.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$208 ₹19.8K

435.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$484 ₹46.0K

46.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

$387 ₹36.8K

568.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$241 ₹23.0K

482.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

$645 ₹61.3K

463.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

$364 ₹34.6K

487.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$319 ₹30.3K

196.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

9.17

23.77%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Surat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Surat

$484 60.6% 31.9% $226

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Surat

$102 12.8% 68.1% $218

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Surat

$81 10.1% 59.3% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Surat

$54 6.8% 65.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Surat

$48 6% 62% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Surat

$25 3.1% 65.8% $47

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Surat

$5.7 0.7% 77.7% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $208 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $11 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $102 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇳 Surat

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

17:28 5:28 PM

11 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

6,936,534

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.1 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Surat 15,410 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Surat

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Surat differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $799 including rent). Surat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $208 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surat runs roughly 84% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $33 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $799 in Surat versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surat 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.

Expats usually find Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.