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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,525 in Muscat versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Muscat versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,019 in Muscat versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Muscat costs roughly 7% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muscat 11% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 OMR 2.06

$12.11 MX$205

-55.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.00 OMR 13.09

$52.2 MX$883

-34.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$10.90 MX$184

-28.99%

Cappuccino

$4.73 OMR 1.82

$4.05 MX$68.5

16.79%

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

$0.86 OMR 0.33

$1.72 MX$29.00

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$1.38 MX$23.29

-78.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$3.47 MX$58.6

276.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

$5.81 MX$98.2

120.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 OMR 0.87

$1.85 MX$31.33

21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$3.22 MX$54.5

-61.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$2.09 MX$35.25

-9.09%

Eggs

$2.94 OMR 1.13

$2.91 MX$49.18

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 OMR 2.94

$12.49 MX$211

-38.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 OMR 2.53

$10.11 MX$171

-35.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$15.89 MX$269

-33.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 OMR 1.31

$3.31 MX$56.0

3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$2.13 MX$35.95

-6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 OMR 0.89

$2.19 MX$37.03

5.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.45 MX$41.37

-51.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$2.19 MX$37.00

-44.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$1.90 MX$32.20

-32.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 OMR 0.69

$1.62 MX$27.31

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$1.35 MX$22.82

-50.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 OMR 2.43

$5.43 MX$91.7

16.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 OMR 5.94

$17.59 MX$297

-12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.68 OMR 2.19

$2.07 MX$34.96

174.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 OMR 3.36

$4.75 MX$80.2

83.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.49

$0.34 MX$5.75

279.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 OMR 29.52

$21.58 MX$365

255.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 OMR 1.24

$2.04 MX$34.49

57.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 OMR 1.00

$0.58 MX$9.77

346.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$5.97 MX$101

30.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.62 MX$27.31

-62.35%

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

$25.1K OMR 9,665

$22.8K MX$385.6K

10.05%

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

$22.2K OMR 8,564

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-16.57%

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

$170 OMR 65.5

$65.2 MX$1,103

160.56%

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

$30.94 OMR 11.91

$29.87 MX$505

3.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 OMR 26.92

$36.55 MX$618

91.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$61.0 MX$1,031

2.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 OMR 11.24

$26.70 MX$451

9.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$6.85 MX$116

50.95%

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

$289 OMR 111

$453 MX$7,664

-36.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K OMR 4,110

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-20.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 OMR 21.42

$75.0 MX$1,267

-25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 OMR 16.63

$55.3 MX$935

-21.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 OMR 35.43

$114 MX$1,920

-19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 OMR 36.95

$123 MX$2,073

-21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 OMR 259

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 OMR 175

$712 MX$12.0K

-36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 OMR 526

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-46.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 OMR 330

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-34.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,835 OMR 1,092

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-28.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 OMR 614

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-23.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,660 OMR 639

$1,047 MX$17.7K

58.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.3

-53.54%

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

Last update for Muscat: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Muscat and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Muscat vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $345 per month, with Muscat 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

Muscat vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat and Mexico City differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,525 vs $1,646 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Muscat, 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: $673 in Muscat versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Muscat runs roughly 255% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $289 in Muscat versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,525 in Muscat versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Muscat but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Muscat 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, Muscat and Mexico City 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 Muscat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.