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: $1,105 in Sur versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,581 in Sur versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,056 in Sur versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Sur costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sur is 18% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 OMR 1.49

$13.18 MX$228

-70.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.74 OMR 9.91

$53.9 MX$931

-52.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$9.42 MX$163

-17.83%

Cappuccino

$4.85 OMR 1.87

$3.55 MX$61.3

36.62%

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

$0.72 OMR 0.28

$1.62 MX$27.95

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$1.11 MX$19.25

-75.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.16 OMR 4.68

$3.12 MX$53.9

289.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.80 OMR 4.54

$4.63 MX$80.0

154.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 OMR 0.61

$1.70 MX$29.40

-7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$2.72 MX$46.97

-55.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$1.91 MX$33.04

-8.90%

Eggs

$2.03 OMR 0.78

$2.54 MX$43.82

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.82 OMR 1.47

$10.03 MX$173

-61.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 OMR 1.94

$8.09 MX$140

-37.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.29 OMR 3.19

$11.62 MX$201

-28.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 OMR 0.91

$2.97 MX$51.3

-20.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$1.81 MX$31.21

-27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$2.01 MX$34.79

-47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 OMR 0.29

$2.03 MX$35.16

-63.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 OMR 0.29

$2.12 MX$36.71

-63.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$2.27 MX$39.21

-76.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$1.40 MX$24.20

-26.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$1.13 MX$19.53

-52.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 OMR 2.45

$4.27 MX$73.8

48.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 OMR 6.09

$15.56 MX$269

1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.32 OMR 1.66

$1.76 MX$30.36

145.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 OMR 3.04

$3.60 MX$62.1

119.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.22

$1.38 MX$23.77

128.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$0.28 MX$4.78

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.55 OMR 4.06

$5.45 MX$94.1

93.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 OMR 0.22

$1.30 MX$22.53

-55.38%

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

$23.3K OMR 8,953

$18.7K MX$322.9K

24.44%

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

$21.4K OMR 8,231

$23.1K MX$399.7K

-7.57%

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

$79.8 OMR 30.73

$40.86 MX$706

95.35%

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

$23.22 OMR 8.94

$26.81 MX$463

-13.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 OMR 27.05

$29.96 MX$518

134.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.1 OMR 33.13

$52.0 MX$899

65.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$6.30 MX$109

66.19%

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

$195 OMR 75.0

$436 MX$7,536

-55.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,463 OMR 2,488

$10.4K MX$180.0K

-37.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 OMR 19.63

$56.7 MX$979

-9.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 OMR 15.30

$44.38 MX$767

-10.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 OMR 30.05

$103 MX$1,779

-24.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 OMR 33.73

$106 MX$1,823

-16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 OMR 99.2

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-74.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 OMR 102

$631 MX$10.9K

-57.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 OMR 180

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-78.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 OMR 150

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-68.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$571 OMR 220

$3,903 MX$67.4K

-85.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 OMR 201

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-74.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,659 OMR 1,024

$1,115 MX$19.3K

138.50%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Sur and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 138% 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 $215 vs $288 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,105 vs $1,467 including rent). Sur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sur pays 138% 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: $258 in Sur versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $195 in Sur versus $436 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 $1,105 in Sur versus $1,467 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.