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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,479 in Cambridge versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Cambridge versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,628 in Cambridge versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 69% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 85% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.44 CA$20.08

$13.18 MX$228

9.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 CA$91.0

$53.9 MX$931

21.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.27

$9.42 MX$163

1.27%

Cappuccino

$3.53 CA$4.91

$3.55 MX$61.3

-0.56%

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

$2.20 CA$3.06

$1.62 MX$27.95

35.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$1.11 MX$19.25

46.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CA$8.27

$3.12 MX$53.9

90.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 CA$9.31

$4.63 MX$80.0

44.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.95

$1.70 MX$29.40

24.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.72 MX$46.97

-18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$1.91 MX$33.04

54.45%

Eggs

$3.09 CA$4.29

$2.54 MX$43.82

21.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 CA$11.41

$10.03 MX$173

-18.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 CA$16.23

$8.09 MX$140

44.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 CA$19.43

$11.62 MX$201

20.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.26

$2.97 MX$51.3

27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$1.81 MX$31.21

-33.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.16

$2.01 MX$34.79

84.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.18

$2.03 MX$35.16

83.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 CA$3.75

$2.12 MX$36.71

27.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 CA$3.47

$2.27 MX$39.21

9.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CA$2.98

$1.40 MX$24.20

52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.28

$1.13 MX$19.53

45.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 CA$19.03

$4.27 MX$73.8

220.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.75 CA$17.73

$15.56 MX$269

-18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.44

$1.76 MX$30.36

40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.47

$3.60 MX$62.1

-10.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 CA$3.49

$0.38 MX$6.62

560.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 CA$95.4

$19.18 MX$331

257.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$1.38 MX$23.77

82.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$0.28 MX$4.78

521.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 CA$33.46

$5.45 MX$94.1

341.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.59

$1.30 MX$22.53

-12.31%

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

$25.0K CA$34.7K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

33.61%

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

$20.2K CA$28.1K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

-12.67%

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

$154 CA$214

$40.86 MX$706

276.97%

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

$38.79 CA$54.0

$26.81 MX$463

44.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 CA$76.8

$29.96 MX$518

84.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.12 CA$41.89

$52.0 MX$899

-42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 CA$16.16

$6.30 MX$109

84.44%

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

$561 CA$780

$436 MX$7,536

28.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K CA$14.1K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

-2.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.7

$56.7 MX$979

-0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 CA$48.20

$44.38 MX$767

-21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 CA$97.7

$103 MX$1,779

-31.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$155

$106 MX$1,823

5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 CA$1,963

$1,022 MX$17.7K

38.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 CA$1,916

$631 MX$10.9K

118.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 CA$3,757

$2,136 MX$36.9K

26.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CA$2,929

$1,243 MX$21.5K

69.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,307 CA$5,990

$3,903 MX$67.4K

10.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,927 CA$5,461

$2,064 MX$35.7K

90.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 CA$4,157

$1,115 MX$19.3K

168.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.34

-41.45%

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

Last update for Cambridge: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,411 in Cambridge and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 168% 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: $65.0 in Cambridge vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cambridge pays 168% 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: $1,411 in Cambridge versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $65.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,479 in Cambridge, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.