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: $1,303 in Sun City versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Sun City versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,709 in Sun City versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Sun City costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sun City is 5% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 R 206

$11.92 MX$205

6.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.01 R 780

$51.6 MX$889

-6.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 R 123

$11.41 MX$197

-33.83%

Cappuccino

$2.56 R 41.67

$3.99 MX$68.8

-35.84%

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

$1.20 R 19.53

$1.66 MX$28.57

-27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.21

$1.33 MX$22.84

-24.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 R 34.65

$3.47 MX$59.8

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 R 46.82

$5.90 MX$102

-51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 R 21.99

$1.88 MX$32.31

-28.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 R 21.37

$3.25 MX$56.0

-59.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.25

$2.16 MX$37.21

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.68 R 43.56

$2.90 MX$49.87

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 R 145

$12.86 MX$221

-30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 R 94.2

$10.05 MX$173

-42.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 R 143

$15.86 MX$273

-44.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 35.64

$3.29 MX$56.7

-33.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.71

$2.01 MX$34.55

-2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.87

$2.20 MX$37.88

-13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 R 34.62

$2.36 MX$40.57

-9.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.88

$2.05 MX$35.38

-13.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.67

$1.90 MX$32.75

-0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.16

$1.61 MX$27.64

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.25

$1.40 MX$24.05

-2.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 R 54.6

$5.46 MX$94.1

-38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 99.0

$17.65 MX$304

-65.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.13

$2.06 MX$35.39

-10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.85

$4.68 MX$80.7

-47.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.03

$0.34 MX$5.83

352.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 R 15.78

$2.10 MX$36.11

-53.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.07

$0.56 MX$9.63

66.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.10 R 245

$5.81 MX$100

159.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.01

$1.61 MX$27.65

-4.35%

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

$37.1K R 602.5K

$22.8K MX$393.3K

62.37%

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

$33.1K R 538.0K

$26.8K MX$460.6K

23.78%

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

$229 R 3,716

$65.2 MX$1,122

250.87%

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

$38.00 R 617

$30.09 MX$518

26.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.27 R 622

$37.18 MX$640

2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.47 R 544

$59.8 MX$1,029

-43.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$8.38 R 136

$7.04 MX$121

19.03%

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

$253 R 4,103

$465 MX$8,001

-45.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,666 R 92.1K

$13.3K MX$228.6K

-57.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 R 964

$75.9 MX$1,307

-21.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.87 R 761

$56.0 MX$963

-16.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 R 1,754

$112 MX$1,926

-3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 R 1,771

$121 MX$2,075

-9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 R 7,064

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-60.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 R 6,183

$721 MX$12.4K

-47.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 R 13.0K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-68.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R 12.6K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-40.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 R 14.7K

$3,991 MX$68.7K

-77.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$684 R 11.1K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-67.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

11.3

-3.45%

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

Last update for Sun City: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Sun City and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Sun City vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $345 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,303 vs $1,660 including rent). Sun City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,954 in Sun City and $2,489 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: $435 in Sun City versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Sun City versus $465 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 $48.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,303 in Sun City versus $1,660 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 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.