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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $481 in Tartus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $740 in Tartus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $999 in Tartus.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 205% more expensive than Tartus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tartus is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.05 SYP 669

117.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$27.02 SYP 2,986

99.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.38 SYP 594

75.09%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$0.76 SYP 84.4

367.11%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.14 SYP 126

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.72 SYP 79.2

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.56 SYP 172

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.46 SYP 272

88.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.00 SYP 111

70.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.58 SYP 64.2

368.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.53 SYP 169

24.84%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.36 SYP 150

86.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.13 SYP 346

220.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.69 SYP 850

5.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.93 SYP 876

46.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$0.87 SYP 95.8

241.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.24 SYP 137

45.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.03 SYP 114

95.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.95 SYP 104

113.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.63 SYP 69.4

236.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.66 SYP 73.0

243.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.38 SYP 41.94

268.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.62 SYP 68.3

82.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.04 SYP 336

40.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$5.80 SYP 640

168.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.98 SYP 108

79.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.83 SYP 202

96.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.62 SYP 69.0

122.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.22 SYP 134

-77.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.58 SYP 727

-17.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.18 SYP 131

10.17%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$18.5K SYP 2.0M

0.94%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.8K SYP 2.3M

11.27%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$102 SYP 11.3K

-59.90%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$8.44 SYP 933

217.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$35.28 SYP 3,898

-15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$11.96 SYP 1,322

334.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.04 SYP 336

107.24%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$43.54 SYP 4,811

901.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,838 SYP 203.1K

466.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$20.10 SYP 2,221

181.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$25.63 SYP 2,832

73.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$45.41 SYP 5,018

126.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$40.25 SYP 4,447

162.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$98.8 SYP 10.9K

934.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$50.8 SYP 5,607

2097.14%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tartus: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $98.8 in Tartus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 2097% 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 $27.00 in Tartus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $152 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 205% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $481 including rent). Tartus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 2097% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $98.8 in Tartus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $43.54 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 $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $481 in Tartus versus $1,467 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 205% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.