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: $1,103 in Sur versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Sur versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,050 in Sur versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Sur costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sur is 17% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 OMR 1.52

$13.07 MX$227

-69.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.63 OMR 9.87

$53.8 MX$936

-52.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$9.68 MX$168

-19.83%

Cappuccino

$4.82 OMR 1.85

$3.74 MX$65.1

28.88%

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

$0.72 OMR 0.28

$1.62 MX$28.12

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$1.16 MX$20.22

-76.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.51 OMR 4.82

$3.23 MX$56.2

287.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.86 OMR 4.56

$4.74 MX$82.5

150.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$1.65 MX$28.67

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 OMR 0.47

$2.75 MX$47.92

-55.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 OMR 0.64

$1.87 MX$32.62

-10.70%

Eggs

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$2.50 MX$43.51

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 OMR 1.48

$10.20 MX$178

-62.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 OMR 1.89

$8.25 MX$144

-40.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 OMR 3.31

$11.82 MX$206

-27.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 OMR 0.91

$3.01 MX$52.4

-21.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$1.81 MX$31.53

-29.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$2.00 MX$34.79

-47.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.81 OMR 0.31

$2.00 MX$34.72

-59.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 OMR 0.31

$2.08 MX$36.28

-60.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 OMR 0.19

$2.27 MX$39.54

-77.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 OMR 0.42

$1.46 MX$25.35

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 OMR 0.19

$1.08 MX$18.73

-52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 OMR 2.40

$4.35 MX$75.7

43.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 OMR 6.12

$16.99 MX$296

-6.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.36 OMR 1.68

$1.73 MX$30.17

152.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 OMR 3.08

$3.58 MX$62.3

123.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.21

$1.33 MX$23.07

137.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 OMR 0.29

$0.28 MX$4.87

171.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 OMR 3.95

$5.25 MX$91.4

95.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$1.34 MX$23.26

-60.45%

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

$22.5K OMR 8,655

$19.4K MX$337.8K

15.84%

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

$21.8K OMR 8,409

$23.8K MX$414.8K

-8.32%

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

$79.0 OMR 30.40

$40.69 MX$708

94.10%

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

$23.13 OMR 8.90

$26.87 MX$468

-13.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 OMR 26.95

$30.51 MX$531

129.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.9 OMR 33.07

$52.8 MX$919

62.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 OMR 3.95

$6.51 MX$113

57.45%

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

$192 OMR 73.8

$428 MX$7,450

-55.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,388 OMR 2,459

$10.5K MX$182.7K

-39.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 OMR 19.71

$57.3 MX$996

-10.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.04 OMR 15.03

$45.50 MX$792

-14.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 OMR 30.18

$104 MX$1,811

-24.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 OMR 33.74

$108 MX$1,877

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 OMR 99.5

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-74.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 OMR 102

$623 MX$10.8K

-57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 OMR 181

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-77.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 OMR 148

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-68.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$565 OMR 218

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-85.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 OMR 202

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-74.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,657 OMR 1,023

$1,038 MX$18.1K

156.01%

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 Sur: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Sur and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 156% 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 $216 vs $292 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,456 including rent). Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $258 in Sur versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $192 in Sur versus $428 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 $1,103 in Sur versus $1,456 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 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.