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: $2,082 in Cambridge versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,855 in Cambridge versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,627 in Cambridge versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 33% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 55% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.93

$11.12 MX$200

26.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 NZ$118

$48.99 MX$880

35.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 NZ$15.57

$11.23 MX$202

-21.99%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$6.05

$3.76 MX$67.5

-9.57%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.55

$1.65 MX$29.69

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 NZ$3.41

$1.28 MX$22.98

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 NZ$10.68

$3.26 MX$58.5

84.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 NZ$11.87

$5.66 MX$102

18.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.80

$1.81 MX$32.52

-12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

$2.94 MX$52.8

-24.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.22

$2.05 MX$36.82

-11.71%

Eggs

$6.22 NZ$11.05

$2.93 MX$52.6

112.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 NZ$15.36

$11.95 MX$215

-27.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.76

$9.51 MX$171

-0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.74 NZ$22.65

$14.84 MX$267

-14.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.53

$3.14 MX$56.5

-18.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.90

$2.01 MX$36.20

8.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$5.17

$2.08 MX$37.29

39.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 NZ$10.20

$2.22 MX$39.86

158.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$2.06 MX$37.01

4.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 NZ$2.69

$1.88 MX$33.73

-19.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$1.48 MX$26.60

54.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.94

$1.35 MX$24.17

-19.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.82 NZ$45.91

$5.41 MX$97.2

377.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$18.02

$16.86 MX$303

-39.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NZ$6.04

$1.98 MX$35.66

71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 NZ$6.77

$4.32 MX$77.7

-11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.83

$0.34 MX$6.20

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$2.10 MX$37.65

5.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$0.53 MX$9.53

281.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.15 NZ$57.2

$5.41 MX$97.1

494.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.97

$1.52 MX$27.31

9.87%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.8K

$21.7K MX$390.5K

15.92%

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

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

$24.8K MX$445.9K

-10.48%

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

$100 NZ$178

$63.0 MX$1,132

59.06%

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

$26.80 NZ$47.65

$28.88 MX$519

-7.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 NZ$89.0

$33.93 MX$610

47.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,002

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$447

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 NZ$24.88

$6.77 MX$122

106.79%

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

$665 NZ$1,183

$428 MX$7,687

55.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

$11.9K MX$213.3K

63.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 NZ$111

$70.0 MX$1,258

-10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 NZ$66.2

$53.7 MX$966

-30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 NZ$168

$110 MX$1,973

-13.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NZ$184

$115 MX$2,070

-10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 NZ$1,019

$1,062 MX$19.1K

-46.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 NZ$1,967

$671 MX$12.1K

64.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 NZ$2,128

$2,379 MX$42.8K

-49.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,577

$1,260 MX$22.6K

15.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,500 NZ$8,001

$3,716 MX$66.8K

21.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 NZ$6,995

$1,976 MX$35.5K

99.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,567 NZ$4,564

$997 MX$17.9K

157.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-46.90%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $573 in Cambridge and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 157% 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: $66.0 in Cambridge vs $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $327, with Cambridge cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 157% 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: $573 in Cambridge versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $665 in Cambridge versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $66.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,082 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.

Safety-wise, Cambridge and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.