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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Sun City versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,603 in Sun City versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,186 in Sun City versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Sun City costs roughly 31% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sun City is 23% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.11 R 183

$13.14 MX$227

-15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.07 R 726

$53.5 MX$926

-17.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 R 79.8

$9.33 MX$161

-48.02%

Cappuccino

$2.15 R 35.41

$3.70 MX$64.0

-41.89%

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

$1.04 R 17.07

$1.60 MX$27.76

-35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.42

$1.12 MX$19.34

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.55

$3.14 MX$54.3

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.72

$4.85 MX$83.9

-47.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R 18.62

$1.65 MX$28.61

-31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 R 13.09

$2.71 MX$46.96

-70.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.08

$1.91 MX$33.03

-13.61%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.26

$2.59 MX$44.81

-5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 R 132

$9.81 MX$170

-18.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 R 78.7

$8.43 MX$146

-43.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 R 110

$11.93 MX$206

-43.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.60

$2.95 MX$51.1

-43.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.09

$1.74 MX$30.10

-16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.46

$2.04 MX$35.38

-24.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.61

$2.06 MX$35.64

-18.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.00

$2.15 MX$37.20

-32.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.70

$2.26 MX$39.02

-36.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$1.39 MX$23.97

-21.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 14.96

$1.12 MX$19.31

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 50.1

$4.22 MX$73.0

-27.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 R 97.6

$17.51 MX$303

-66.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.07

$1.71 MX$29.58

-21.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.25

$3.63 MX$62.8

-54.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 R 27.33

$0.35 MX$6.10

374.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.19

$1.38 MX$23.80

-19.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.85

$0.28 MX$4.77

221.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 R 64.8

$5.28 MX$91.3

-25.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R 20.13

$1.36 MX$23.50

-10.29%

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

$22.4K R 369.1K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

17.36%

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

$23.7K R 389.6K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

0.26%

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

$93.5 R 1,540

$40.53 MX$701

130.74%

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

$40.98 R 675

$27.38 MX$474

49.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.08 R 693

$30.38 MX$526

38.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.19 R 513

$52.2 MX$903

-40.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 R 49.90

$6.19 MX$107

-51.05%

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

$203 R 3,349

$425 MX$7,355

-52.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,849 R 79.8K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-54.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.77 R 819

$58.3 MX$1,009

-14.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.89 R 558

$44.57 MX$771

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 R 1,090

$103 MX$1,791

-35.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 R 1,316

$109 MX$1,881

-26.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 R 6,085

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-63.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 R 5,551

$623 MX$10.8K

-45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 R 11.4K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-67.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 R 11.4K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-43.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$779 R 12.8K

$3,792 MX$65.6K

-79.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$706 R 11.6K

$2,110 MX$36.5K

-66.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

11.34

1.50%

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

Last update for Sun City: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Sun City and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Sun City vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $293 per month, with Sun City 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

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

Sun City and Mexico City differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,020 vs $1,472 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,530 in Sun City and $2,208 in Mexico City 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: $370 in Sun City versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Sun City versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sun City – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,020 in Sun City versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sun City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sun City 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, Sun City 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 Sun City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.