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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,142 in Sur versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,655 in Sur versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,168 in Sur versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Sur costs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sur is 17% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.81 OMR 1.47

$12.14 MX$205

-68.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.90 OMR 9.97

$53.9 MX$910

-51.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$11.09 MX$187

-29.40%

Cappuccino

$4.97 OMR 1.91

$4.10 MX$69.2

21.22%

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

$0.75 OMR 0.29

$1.68 MX$28.40

-55.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$1.39 MX$23.44

-80.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.88 OMR 4.96

$3.33 MX$56.2

286.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.09 OMR 5.04

$5.88 MX$99.3

122.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 OMR 0.61

$1.85 MX$31.26

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$3.17 MX$53.5

-59.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 OMR 0.66

$2.07 MX$34.96

-17.87%

Eggs

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$2.93 MX$49.44

-31.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 OMR 2.96

$12.59 MX$213

-39.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 OMR 2.55

$10.11 MX$171

-34.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 OMR 3.54

$16.09 MX$272

-42.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$3.39 MX$57.2

-31.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$2.08 MX$35.09

-38.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$2.12 MX$35.80

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 OMR 0.29

$2.41 MX$40.76

-69.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$2.13 MX$35.95

-62.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 OMR 0.19

$2.01 MX$33.86

-74.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 OMR 0.58

$1.55 MX$26.09

-1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 OMR 0.19

$1.36 MX$23.04

-63.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 OMR 2.43

$5.77 MX$97.4

9.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 OMR 6.06

$17.74 MX$300

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.66 OMR 2.18

$2.07 MX$34.95

173.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.73 OMR 3.36

$4.61 MX$77.9

89.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 OMR 1.23

$2.05 MX$34.68

55.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 OMR 1.02

$0.58 MX$9.74

358.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.01 OMR 3.08

$6.07 MX$103

31.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 OMR 0.22

$1.55 MX$26.22

-62.58%

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

$25.3K OMR 9,753

$22.9K MX$386.2K

10.74%

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

$22.6K OMR 8,693

$27.2K MX$459.8K

-17.10%

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

$78.9 OMR 30.39

$67.4 MX$1,138

17.10%

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

$23.85 OMR 9.18

$30.62 MX$517

-22.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 OMR 27.06

$37.24 MX$629

88.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 OMR 33.30

$61.5 MX$1,038

40.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 OMR 3.94

$7.11 MX$120

44.16%

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

$292 OMR 112

$456 MX$7,703

-36.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,501 OMR 2,503

$13.7K MX$231.2K

-52.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 OMR 21.38

$74.2 MX$1,253

-25.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.74 OMR 16.46

$57.0 MX$963

-25.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 OMR 35.05

$115 MX$1,949

-21.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 OMR 36.54

$122 MX$2,052

-21.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 OMR 101

$1,148 MX$19.4K

-77.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 OMR 103

$709 MX$12.0K

-62.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 OMR 183

$2,577 MX$43.5K

-81.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 OMR 149

$1,295 MX$21.9K

-70.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$568 OMR 219

$4,005 MX$67.6K

-85.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$520 OMR 200

$2,130 MX$36.0K

-75.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,671 OMR 1,028

$1,082 MX$18.3K

146.87%

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 Sur: September 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Sur and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 147% 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 Sur vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $345 per month, with Sur 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

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

Sur and Mexico City differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,142 vs $1,677 including rent). Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 147% higher in Sur, 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: $262 in Sur versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $292 in Sur versus $456 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 Sur – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,142 in Sur versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sur but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sur 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, Sur 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 Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.