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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $923 in Surin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,496 in Surin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,069 in Surin.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 78% more expensive than in Surin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Surin is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$204

$3.07 ฿101

294.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$881

$23.55 ฿774

121.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$7.76 ฿255

40.46%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$2.12 ฿69.8

91.04%

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

$1.72 MX$28.95

$0.70 ฿22.87

145.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.25

$0.32 ฿10.64

331.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$2.10 ฿68.9

65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$3.01 ฿99.0

93.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$1.88 ฿61.9

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$1.44 ฿47.35

123.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.20

$1.26 ฿41.32

65.87%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.10

$2.20 ฿72.4

32.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$16.38 ฿538

-23.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$2.85 ฿93.6

254.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$10.98 ฿361

44.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.21 ฿106

3.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.90

$1.12 ฿36.86

90.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.97

$2.29 ฿75.3

-4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.31

$1.69 ฿55.6

44.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.95

$1.50 ฿49.20

46.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.15

$1.18 ฿38.65

61.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.26

$1.11 ฿36.39

45.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.78

$0.54 ฿17.65

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$4.40 ฿145

23.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$15.48 ฿509

13.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$1.70 ฿55.7

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$2.86 ฿94.0

66.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.90 ฿29.74

-62.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.44

$1.24 ฿40.63

64.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$1.12 ฿36.80

-48.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$3.99 ฿131

49.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.27

$1.45 ฿47.60

11.72%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$24.7K ฿811.5K

-7.61%

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

$26.7K MX$450.0K

$27.4K ฿901.5K

-2.78%

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

$65.2 MX$1,101

$83.7 ฿2,750

-22.02%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$12.57 ฿413

137.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$19.77 ฿650

84.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$47.45 ฿1,560

28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$14.17 ฿466

88.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.79 ฿223

0.88%

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

$453 MX$7,652

$561 ฿18.4K

-19.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.7K

$11.3K ฿370.9K

18.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,265

$52.4 ฿1,722

43.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$933

$30.52 ฿1,003

81.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,917

$76.9 ฿2,526

47.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,070

$77.0 ฿2,532

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$465 ฿15.3K

143.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$291 ฿9,564

144.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,263 ฿41.5K

103.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$702 ฿23.1K

86.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$1,961 ฿64.5K

103.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,634 ฿53.7K

28.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Surin: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $465 in Surin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Surin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $247 per month, with Surin 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 Surin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Surin differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $923 including rent). Surin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,384 in Surin 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $465 in Surin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $561 in Surin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surin – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $923 in Surin versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surin but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surin 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 Surin 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 Surin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.