Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,678 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Burnaby, Canada
Mexico City, Mexico
Burnaby
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,678
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burnaby 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 Burnaby and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,678 in Burnaby versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

  • Burnaby $2,678
  • Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,827 in Burnaby versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

  • Burnaby $3,827
  • Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,976 in Burnaby versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

  • Burnaby $4,976
  • Mexico City $3,490

Living in Burnaby is roughly 67% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 97% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.23 CA$29.79
$10.62 MX$198
99.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.5 CA$121
$48.35 MX$901
78.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.53 CA$13.37
$10.35 MX$193
-7.92%
Cappuccino
$4.67 CA$6.56
$3.69 MX$68.8
26.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 CA$3.44
$1.67 MX$31.07
46.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 CA$2.52
$1.27 MX$23.59
41.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.57 CA$12.03
$3.19 MX$59.5
168.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 CA$8.67
$5.31 MX$98.9
16.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.34 CA$3.28
$1.72 MX$32.15
36.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.76 CA$3.88
$3.04 MX$56.7
-9.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.52 CA$4.95
$1.94 MX$36.19
81.44%
Eggs
$3.17 CA$4.45
$2.89 MX$53.8
9.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.05 CA$19.72
$10.97 MX$205
28.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.07 CA$19.75
$9.25 MX$172
52.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.31 CA$35.52
$15.13 MX$282
67.28%
Apples (1kg)
$4.42 CA$6.20
$3.05 MX$56.8
44.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 CA$1.80
$1.94 MX$36.19
-34.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.61 CA$6.47
$2.03 MX$37.75
127.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.61 CA$6.48
$2.31 MX$43.15
99.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 CA$3.95
$2.04 MX$37.94
37.75%
Onion (1kg)
$3.54 CA$4.96
$1.80 MX$33.55
96.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.74 CA$3.84
$1.48 MX$27.58
85.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.95
$1.27 MX$23.63
65.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.23 CA$19.96
$5.30 MX$98.9
168.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.39 CA$18.79
$16.10 MX$300
-16.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 CA$2.88
$1.98 MX$36.97
3.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 CA$3.27
$4.25 MX$79.3
-45.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.54 CA$3.56
$0.31 MX$5.69
719.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.6 CA$115
$19.73 MX$368
313.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.88 CA$4.04
$1.84 MX$34.25
56.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 CA$2.12
$0.53 MX$9.94
184.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.45 CA$37.12
$5.30 MX$98.7
399.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 CA$1.92
$1.51 MX$28.16
-9.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K CA$40.1K
$21.8K MX$405.5K
31.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K CA$29.4K
$24.0K MX$447.1K
-12.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 CA$177
$63.0 MX$1,174
100.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.96 CA$63.1
$27.39 MX$511
64.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.7 CA$74.0
$35.67 MX$665
47.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.23 CA$43.83
$58.9 MX$1,099
-47.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.52 CA$14.77
$23.64 MX$441
-55.50%
Cinema Ticket
$14.23 CA$19.97
$6.40 MX$119
122.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$649 CA$910
$432 MX$8,045
50.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.4K MX$212.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.2 CA$73.3
$68.2 MX$1,272
-23.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.4 CA$72.1
$53.1 MX$990
-3.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 CA$145
$108 MX$2,009
-4.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 CA$111
$117 MX$2,186
-32.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,693 CA$2,376
$1,113 MX$20.8K
52.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 CA$1,973
$710 MX$13.2K
97.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,623 CA$3,681
$2,588 MX$48.2K
1.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,985 CA$2,786
$1,406 MX$26.2K
41.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,886 CA$9,663
$3,631 MX$67.7K
89.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,338 CA$7,491
$2,135 MX$39.8K
150.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Burnaby
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,149 CA$4,419
$946 MX$17.6K
232.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.76
11.35
-58.06%

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

Last update for Burnaby: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Burnaby
$1.4K
Mexico City
$710 49.5% $696
Groceries & Markets
Burnaby
$431
Mexico City
$320 25.9% $111
Eating Out
Burnaby
$327
Mexico City
$199 39.2% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Burnaby
$224
Mexico City
$126 43.7% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Burnaby
$129
Mexico City
$156 21.1% $27
Getting Around
Burnaby
$102
Mexico City
$25 75.1% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Burnaby
$60
Mexico City
$72 20.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Burnaby and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $87 in Burnaby vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Burnaby
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
13:48 1:48 PM
14:48 2:48 PM
1 h ahead of Burnaby
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
249,125
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Burnaby Mexico City 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Burnaby
  • 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
Burnaby vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Burnaby and in Mexico City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,678 in Burnaby and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 40% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Burnaby or Mexico City?
Average pay in Burnaby is about 3.3 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Burnaby and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,693 in Burnaby versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Burnaby and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $649 in Burnaby versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Burnaby compared to Mexico City?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Burnaby and Mexico City?
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.
Where should expats move: Burnaby or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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