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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $919 in Surin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,472 in Surin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,025 in Surin.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 61% more expensive than in Surin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Surin is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$3.01 ฿102

337.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$933

$27.19 ฿916

97.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$6.28 ฿212

52.07%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$2.01 ฿67.8

85.07%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$0.72 ฿24.40

118.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.56 ฿18.90

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$2.52 ฿85.1

26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$3.67 ฿124

26.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.68

$1.75 ฿58.9

-2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$1.39 ฿46.74

88.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.27 ฿42.70

48.82%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$2.20 ฿74.3

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$18.71 ฿631

-47.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$3.09 ฿104

166.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$10.75 ฿362

9.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$3.11 ฿105

-3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.24 ฿41.91

45.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.09

$1.95 ฿65.7

6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.61 ฿54.1

22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.06

$1.47 ฿49.66

40.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.26 ฿42.42

72.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.42

$1.02 ฿34.41

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.52 ฿17.40

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$4.25 ฿143

-3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$16.98 ฿572

2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.81 ฿61.1

-7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.78 ฿93.9

31.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.88 ฿29.77

-56.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$1.06 ฿35.82

25.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.20 ฿40.48

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$6.06 ฿204

-9.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.29 ฿43.44

1.55%

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

$19.2K MX$333.6K

$27.2K ฿916.6K

-29.51%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$27.2K ฿916.5K

-12.65%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$74.9 ฿2,526

-45.09%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$13.86 ฿467

100.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$18.57 ฿626

62.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$48.67 ฿1,641

10.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$12.42 ฿419

109.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$7.10 ฿239

-8.59%

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

$437 MX$7,599

$295 ฿9,942

48.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$9,760 ฿329.0K

7.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$33.37 ฿1,125

74.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$34.35 ฿1,158

33.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$101 ฿3,407

0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$71.3 ฿2,405

49.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$429 ฿14.5K

134.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$286 ฿9,641

121.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$798 ฿26.9K

169.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$660 ฿22.3K

88.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$1,919 ฿64.7K

101.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,553 ฿52.3K

34.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.45

108.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Surin: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $429 in Surin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Surin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $254 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $919 including rent). Surin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,378 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $429 in Surin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $295 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 $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $919 in Surin versus $1,481 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 61% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.