Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, Canada and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,527 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,527

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,527 in Cambridge versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Cambridge $2,527
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,443 in Cambridge versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Cambridge $3,443
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Cambridge versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Cambridge $4,359
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Cambridge is roughly 57% 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: Cambridge 86% above, Mexico City 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 CA$24.72

$10.62 MX$199

66.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 CA$79.2

$48.35 MX$906

17.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 CA$14.74

$10.35 MX$194

1.93%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.97

$3.69 MX$69.2

-3.52%

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

$1.99 CA$2.78

$1.67 MX$31.23

19.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.27 MX$23.71

-3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 CA$7.26

$3.19 MX$59.8

62.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CA$8.75

$5.31 MX$99.5

17.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CA$2.79

$1.72 MX$32.32

15.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$3.04 MX$57.0

-20.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.47

$1.94 MX$36.38

64.43%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.64

$2.89 MX$54.1

14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$10.97 MX$206

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.90

$9.25 MX$173

23.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 CA$20.17

$15.13 MX$283

-4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.68

$3.05 MX$57.1

33.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.94 MX$36.38

-31.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.65

$2.03 MX$37.95

99.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.22

$2.31 MX$43.38

61.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$2.04 MX$38.14

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.80 MX$33.73

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 CA$2.80

$1.48 MX$27.72

35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CA$1.81

$1.27 MX$23.75

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.93 CA$18.08

$5.30 MX$99.4

143.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 CA$17.34

$16.10 MX$302

-22.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.67

$1.98 MX$37.16

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$4.25 MX$79.7

-4.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 CA$3.92

$0.31 MX$5.72

803.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 CA$97.1

$19.73 MX$370

251.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 CA$3.58

$1.84 MX$34.44

39.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 CA$2.51

$0.53 MX$10.00

239.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.32 CA$32.60

$5.30 MX$99.2

340.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.51 MX$28.31

-19.21%

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

$26.5K CA$37.0K

$21.8K MX$407.7K

21.82%

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

$20.7K CA$28.9K

$24.0K MX$449.5K

-13.78%

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

$152 CA$213

$63.0 MX$1,180

141.92%

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

$42.51 CA$59.4

$27.39 MX$513

55.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 CA$70.6

$35.67 MX$668

41.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.64 CA$40.03

$58.9 MX$1,105

-51.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 CA$15.01

$6.40 MX$120

67.81%

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

$497 CA$695

$432 MX$8,088

15.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.1K

$11.4K MX$214.1K

38.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 CA$88.7

$68.2 MX$1,278

-6.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.07 CA$46.22

$53.1 MX$996

-37.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 CA$115

$108 MX$2,020

-23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$117 MX$2,198

-9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 CA$2,137

$1,113 MX$20.9K

37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 CA$1,949

$710 MX$13.3K

96.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 CA$2,876

$2,588 MX$48.5K

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 CA$2,614

$1,406 MX$26.3K

33.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,450 CA$6,220

$3,631 MX$68.0K

22.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 CA$5,147

$2,135 MX$40.0K

72.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,028 CA$4,232

$946 MX$17.7K

220.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

11.35

-54.01%

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

Last update for Cambridge: 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

Cambridge

$1.4K 55.2%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 49.1% $684

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$349 13.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 8.4% $29

Eating Out

Cambridge

$267 10.6%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 25.7% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$245 9.7%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 48.6% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$128 5.1%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 21.8% $28

Getting Around

Cambridge

$92 3.7%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 72.4% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$50 2%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 43.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,529 in Cambridge and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $57 in Cambridge vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $320 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

1 h behind Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,479

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cambridge Mexico City 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
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

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

Mexico City is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Cambridge is about 3.2 times higher, 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: $1,529 in Cambridge versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $48 versus $57 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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 36% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.