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: $1,331 in Muscat versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Muscat versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,633 in Muscat versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Muscat costs roughly 9% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 1% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

$13.18 MX$228

-59.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.39 OMR 10.16

$53.9 MX$932

-51.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 OMR 3.02

$9.42 MX$163

-16.77%

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.90

$3.55 MX$61.4

39.44%

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

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.62 MX$27.98

-37.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 OMR 0.13

$1.11 MX$19.27

-69.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.16 OMR 4.68

$3.12 MX$54.0

289.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.87 OMR 4.57

$4.63 MX$80.1

156.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$1.70 MX$29.43

17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.72 MX$47.02

-55.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 OMR 0.65

$1.91 MX$33.07

-10.99%

Eggs

$2.45 OMR 0.94

$2.54 MX$43.86

-3.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 OMR 1.48

$10.03 MX$174

-61.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 OMR 1.98

$8.09 MX$140

-36.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 OMR 3.26

$11.62 MX$201

-27.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 OMR 0.98

$2.97 MX$51.3

-14.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$1.81 MX$31.24

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 OMR 0.68

$2.01 MX$34.82

-11.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 OMR 0.44

$2.03 MX$35.20

-44.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 OMR 0.38

$2.12 MX$36.75

-52.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$2.27 MX$39.25

-55.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.40 MX$24.22

-26.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 OMR 0.22

$1.13 MX$19.55

-50.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 OMR 2.39

$4.27 MX$73.9

45.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 OMR 5.99

$15.56 MX$269

-0.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.25 OMR 1.64

$1.76 MX$30.39

141.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 OMR 3.04

$3.60 MX$62.2

119.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$0.38 MX$6.62

234.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 OMR 23.99

$19.18 MX$332

224.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.22

$1.38 MX$23.79

128.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$0.28 MX$4.78

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$5.45 MX$94.2

89.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.30 MX$22.55

-53.85%

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

$22.8K OMR 8,778

$18.7K MX$323.2K

22.01%

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

$21.8K OMR 8,405

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-5.61%

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

$107 OMR 41.32

$40.86 MX$707

162.68%

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

$40.60 OMR 15.63

$26.81 MX$464

51.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 OMR 27.13

$29.96 MX$518

135.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.24 OMR 18.19

$52.0 MX$900

-9.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.99 OMR 8.85

$26.84 MX$464

-14.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$6.30 MX$109

66.19%

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

$192 OMR 74.1

$436 MX$7,544

-55.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,757 OMR 3,756

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-6.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 OMR 19.53

$56.7 MX$980

-10.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 OMR 15.21

$44.38 MX$768

-10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 OMR 30.56

$103 MX$1,780

-22.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 OMR 34.66

$106 MX$1,825

-14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 OMR 238

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-39.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 OMR 158

$631 MX$10.9K

-34.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 OMR 470

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-42.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 OMR 281

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-41.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 OMR 1,026

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-31.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 OMR 597

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-24.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,654 OMR 637

$1,115 MX$19.3K

48.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

11.34

-54.59%

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

Last update for Muscat: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Muscat and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Muscat vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $288 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,331 vs $1,467 including rent). Muscat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Muscat pays 48% 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: $619 in Muscat versus $1,022 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 225% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $192 in Muscat versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,331 in Muscat versus $1,467 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 10% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.