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: $2,462 in Cambridge versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Cambridge versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Cambridge versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 84% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 CA$20.85

$13.07 MX$228

13.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 CA$91.7

$53.8 MX$936

21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 CA$14.07

$9.68 MX$169

3.31%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.18

$3.74 MX$65.1

-1.60%

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

$2.21 CA$3.11

$1.62 MX$28.13

36.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$1.16 MX$20.23

38.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 CA$8.21

$3.23 MX$56.2

80.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 CA$9.22

$4.74 MX$82.5

38.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.65 MX$28.68

35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$2.75 MX$47.95

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.21

$1.87 MX$32.63

59.89%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.50 MX$43.54

28.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 CA$12.20

$10.20 MX$178

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 CA$16.81

$8.25 MX$144

44.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 CA$19.35

$11.82 MX$206

16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$3.01 MX$52.4

32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.81 MX$31.54

-32.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.18

$2.00 MX$34.81

84.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.51

$2.00 MX$34.74

95.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.84

$2.08 MX$36.30

31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$2.27 MX$39.56

8.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.46 MX$25.36

53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$1.08 MX$18.74

45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 CA$18.85

$4.35 MX$75.7

208.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 CA$17.24

$16.99 MX$296

-27.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.44

$1.73 MX$30.18

41.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.45

$3.58 MX$62.3

-11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$0.39 MX$6.74

556.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 CA$93.7

$18.69 MX$325

256.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$1.33 MX$23.08

96.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$0.28 MX$4.87

510.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 CA$33.54

$5.25 MX$91.5

354.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.34 MX$23.27

-17.16%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

30.84%

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

$20.3K CA$28.5K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

-14.89%

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

$151 CA$212

$40.69 MX$709

270.75%

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

$39.94 CA$56.2

$26.87 MX$468

48.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$76.1

$30.51 MX$531

77.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.81 CA$41.94

$52.8 MX$919

-43.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$16.26

$6.51 MX$113

77.42%

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

$556 CA$782

$428 MX$7,454

29.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$78.0

$57.3 MX$997

-3.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.68 CA$48.80

$45.50 MX$792

-23.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 CA$99.4

$104 MX$1,812

-32.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$108 MX$1,878

2.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,984

$1,003 MX$17.5K

40.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 CA$1,938

$623 MX$10.8K

121.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,684 CA$3,776

$2,109 MX$36.7K

27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 CA$2,993

$1,218 MX$21.2K

74.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,165 CA$5,861

$3,885 MX$67.6K

7.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,848 CA$5,414

$2,033 MX$35.4K

89.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,007 CA$4,231

$1,038 MX$18.1K

189.71%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,410 in Cambridge and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 190% 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 $342 vs $292 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.

Average pay runs 190% higher in Cambridge, 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: $1,410 in Cambridge versus $1,003 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 $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,462 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.