Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,301 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,301

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surprise, AZ and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Surprise, AZ and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,301 in Surprise, AZ versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Surprise, AZ $1,301
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,613 in Surprise, AZ versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Surprise, AZ $3,613
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,926 in Surprise, AZ versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Surprise, AZ $5,926
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Surprise, AZ costs roughly 16% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surprise, AZ is 4% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$11.02 MX$204

82.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 $86.5

$48.68 MX$900

77.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.90 MX$201

20.46%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$3.68 MX$68.1

67.93%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.63 MX$30.18

69.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.25 MX$23.07

95.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.25 MX$60.1

109.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$5.53 MX$102

47.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.70 MX$31.50

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.02 MX$55.8

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.92 MX$35.53

168.23%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$2.73 MX$50.5

72.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$11.77 MX$218

13.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$9.53 MX$176

19.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 $14.86

$14.41 MX$266

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.02 MX$55.8

53.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.89 MX$35.01

3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.99 MX$36.70

98.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.19 MX$40.38

89.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.92 MX$35.43

27.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.87 MX$34.49

52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.44 MX$26.62

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.27 MX$23.39

65.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$5.22 MX$96.4

107.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 $13.46

$16.17 MX$299

-16.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.90 MX$35.03

27.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.22 MX$78.0

-22.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.00 MX$36.90

39.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.52 MX$9.67

161.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.40 $36.40

$5.34 MX$98.7

581.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.52 MX$28.13

-28.29%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

63.56%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

5.65%

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

$195 $195

$61.1 MX$1,129

218.52%

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

$61.5 $61.5

$28.58 MX$528

115.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$34.47 MX$637

113.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 $59.7

$56.4 MX$1,042

5.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$6.66 MX$123

97.75%

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

$1,121 $1,121

$427 MX$7,891

162.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

35.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$67.8 MX$1,253

-20.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$52.0 MX$960

-15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$106 MX$1,959

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$113 MX$2,080

1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-8.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,013 $3,013

$1,242 MX$22.9K

142.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-15.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,368 $4,368

$964 MX$17.8K

353.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.3

-43.01%

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

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Surprise, AZ

$391 30.1%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 18.7% $73

Eating Out

Surprise, AZ

$346 26.6%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 41% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surprise, AZ

$330 25.3%

Mexico City

$124 8% 62.4% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Surprise, AZ

$139 10.7%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 9.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Surprise, AZ

$86 6.6%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 18.9% $16

Getting Around

Surprise, AZ

$9.6 * 0.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 168% $16

Accommodation & Living

Surprise, AZ

- * 0%

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Surprise, AZ pays 353% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Surprise, AZ vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

1 h ahead of Surprise, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,148

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surprise, AZ Mexico City 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Surprise, AZ
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Surprise, AZ vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surprise, AZ and Mexico City differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,301 vs $1,548 including rent). Surprise, AZ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 353% higher in Surprise, AZ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,121 in Surprise, AZ versus $427 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 Surprise, AZ – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,301 in Surprise, AZ versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surprise, AZ but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surprise, AZ 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.

Expats usually find Surprise, AZ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.