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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 89% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 107% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$13.18 MX$228

11.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$53.9 MX$934

37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$9.42 MX$163

-4.99%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$3.55 MX$61.5

18.03%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$1.62 MX$28.03

11.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$1.11 MX$19.31

19.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$3.12 MX$54.1

89.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$4.63 MX$80.2

20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.70 MX$29.48

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$2.72 MX$47.10

1.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$1.91 MX$33.13

134.55%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$2.54 MX$43.94

23.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$10.03 MX$174

22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$8.09 MX$140

48.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$11.62 MX$201

86.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$2.97 MX$51.4

12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.81 MX$31.30

-29.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.01 MX$34.88

49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$2.03 MX$35.26

89.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$2.12 MX$36.82

36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.27 MX$39.32

32.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$1.40 MX$24.26

70.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.13 MX$19.59

67.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$4.27 MX$74.0

247.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$15.56 MX$270

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.76 MX$30.44

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$3.60 MX$62.3

-30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$0.38 MX$6.64

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$19.18 MX$332

302.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$1.38 MX$23.84

102.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$0.28 MX$4.79

407.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$5.45 MX$94.4

364.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.30 MX$22.60

0.77%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

35.61%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-11.67%

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

$136 CA$188

$40.86 MX$708

231.79%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$26.81 MX$465

58.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$29.96 MX$519

85.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$52.0 MX$901

-39.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$26.84 MX$465

-79.10%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$6.30 MX$109

158.57%

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

$547 CA$760

$436 MX$7,558

25.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-21.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$56.7 MX$982

-3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$44.38 MX$769

20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$103 MX$1,784

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$106 MX$1,829

-8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$1,022 MX$17.7K

86.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$631 MX$10.9K

162.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$2,136 MX$37.0K

86.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$1,243 MX$21.5K

113.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$3,903 MX$67.6K

76.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$2,064 MX$35.8K

167.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$1,115 MX$19.3K

193.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.34

-42.33%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 194% 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 Burnaby vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $288 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

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

Burnaby and Mexico City differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burnaby pays 194% 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: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,776 in Burnaby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 89% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.