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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $483 in Tartus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $760 in Tartus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,037 in Tartus.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 201% more expensive than in Tartus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tartus is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$6.18 SYP 751

111.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$27.98 SYP 3,400

92.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$5.51 SYP 670

75.68%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$0.78 SYP 94.8

379.49%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$1.12 SYP 137

44.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.69 SYP 83.5

68.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.64 SYP 200

96.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$2.46 SYP 299

92.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.00 SYP 122

65.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$0.63 SYP 76.2

336.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.53 SYP 186

22.22%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$1.40 SYP 170

78.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$3.10 SYP 377

229.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$7.52 SYP 914

9.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$8.10 SYP 985

45.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$0.93 SYP 113

223.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.22 SYP 149

48.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$0.98 SYP 120

104.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$0.96 SYP 117

108.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$0.62 SYP 75.6

235.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$0.67 SYP 81.4

238.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.38 SYP 45.97

284.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.61 SYP 74.2

77.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$3.07 SYP 373

41.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$8.07 SYP 981

110.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.01 SYP 123

71.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$1.77 SYP 215

102.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.63 SYP 76.1

111.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.28 SYP 155

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.35 SYP 772

-17.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.17 SYP 142

14.53%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$18.6K SYP 2.3M

4.54%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$21.0K SYP 2.6M

13.23%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$101 SYP 12.2K

-59.54%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$8.37 SYP 1,017

221.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$35.08 SYP 4,262

-13.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$12.14 SYP 1,475

334.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$3.09 SYP 375

110.68%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$43.00 SYP 5,225

895.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$1,813 SYP 220.3K

479.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$19.63 SYP 2,386

191.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$25.73 SYP 3,127

76.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$45.53 SYP 5,532

128.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$39.56 SYP 4,807

172.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$101 SYP 12.2K

896.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$50.2 SYP 6,094

1969.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.75

-17.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tartus: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $101 in Tartus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1969% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Tartus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $157 per month, with Tartus 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 Tartus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tartus differ by about 201% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $483 including rent). Tartus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1969% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $101 in Tartus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $43.00 in Tartus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tartus – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $483 in Tartus versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tartus but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tartus 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 Tartus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.