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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,585 in Barrie versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,673 in Barrie versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Barrie versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Barrie is roughly 76% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrie 94% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 CA$20.72

$13.14 MX$228

12.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$53.5 MX$927

38.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 CA$14.40

$9.33 MX$162

10.08%

Cappuccino

$3.42 CA$4.79

$3.70 MX$64.1

-7.57%

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

$1.80 CA$2.52

$1.60 MX$27.80

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.12 MX$19.37

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.83

$3.14 MX$54.4

100.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 CA$8.01

$4.85 MX$84.0

17.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 CA$3.83

$1.65 MX$28.65

65.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.09

$2.71 MX$47.02

7.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.52

$1.91 MX$33.07

106.28%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.26

$2.59 MX$44.87

17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CA$12.44

$9.81 MX$170

-9.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.49 CA$20.31

$8.43 MX$146

71.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.25 CA$35.39

$11.93 MX$207

111.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.22

$2.95 MX$51.2

26.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.74 MX$30.15

-23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.08

$2.04 MX$35.43

42.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 CA$7.26

$2.06 MX$35.69

151.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 CA$2.44

$2.15 MX$37.25

-19.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.33

$2.26 MX$39.08

68.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.97

$1.39 MX$24.01

103.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.35

$1.12 MX$19.34

49.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 CA$16.49

$4.22 MX$73.1

178.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 CA$14.23

$17.51 MX$303

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.40

$1.71 MX$29.62

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CA$3.24

$3.63 MX$62.9

-36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$0.35 MX$6.11

657.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 CA$94.3

$19.32 MX$335

248.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$4.01

$1.38 MX$23.84

107.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 CA$2.93

$0.28 MX$4.78

646.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.95 CA$36.38

$5.28 MX$91.4

391.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.36 MX$23.53

-16.18%

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

$24.7K CA$34.7K

$19.1K MX$331.0K

29.48%

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

$20.4K CA$28.7K

$23.6K MX$409.0K

-13.37%

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

$196 CA$275

$40.53 MX$702

383.89%

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

$42.36 CA$59.4

$27.38 MX$474

54.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 CA$107

$30.38 MX$526

150.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.31 CA$50.9

$52.2 MX$905

-30.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.57 CA$51.3

$26.48 MX$459

38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 CA$18.86

$6.19 MX$107

117.29%

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

$1,473 CA$2,065

$425 MX$7,365

246.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.4K

$10.7K MX$186.0K

8.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 CA$98.3

$58.3 MX$1,010

20.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 CA$79.0

$44.57 MX$772

26.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 CA$199

$103 MX$1,793

37.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$109 MX$1,884

5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 CA$1,981

$1,014 MX$17.6K

39.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 CA$1,812

$623 MX$10.8K

107.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 CA$3,036

$2,119 MX$36.7K

2.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 CA$2,570

$1,223 MX$21.2K

49.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 CA$7,030

$3,792 MX$65.7K

32.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,205 CA$5,894

$2,110 MX$36.6K

99.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,045 CA$4,268

$1,052 MX$18.2K

189.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.34

-41.53%

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

Last update for Barrie: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,413 in Barrie and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 189% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Barrie vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $293 per month, with Mexico 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

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

Barrie and Mexico City differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($2,585 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 189% higher in Barrie, 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: $1,413 in Barrie versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 248% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,473 in Barrie versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,585 in Barrie, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Barrie. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.