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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,308 per month in Cambridge vs $1,646 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,557 per month in Cambridge vs $2,613 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,805 per month in Cambridge vs $3,580 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cambridge costs about 101% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cambridge and Mexico City sit above the global median – Cambridge by 141%, Mexico City by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 £16.50

$12.11 MX$205

84.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 £67.4

$52.2 MX$883

74.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 £8.02

$10.90 MX$184

-0.46%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.44

$4.05 MX$68.5

15.06%

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

$2.87 £2.12

$1.72 MX$29.00

66.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.38 MX$23.29

35.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.86

$3.47 MX$58.6

128.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 £5.59

$5.81 MX$98.2

30.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.85 MX$31.33

-11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 £1.34

$3.22 MX$54.5

-43.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.09 MX$35.25

27.27%

Eggs

$4.71 £3.48

$2.91 MX$49.18

61.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 £7.57

$12.49 MX$211

-18.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 £7.13

$10.11 MX$171

-4.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 £11.76

$15.89 MX$269

0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.30

$3.31 MX$56.0

-5.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$2.13 MX$35.95

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 £2.70

$2.19 MX$37.03

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 £2.59

$2.45 MX$41.37

43.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.19 MX$37.00

-17.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.90 MX$32.20

-4.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.62 MX$27.31

-20.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.35 MX$22.82

45.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.07 £17.05

$5.43 MX$91.7

324.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 £8.43

$17.59 MX$297

-35.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.07 MX$34.96

62.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 £2.97

$4.75 MX$80.2

-15.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 £2.72

$0.34 MX$5.75

982.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.2

$21.58 MX$365

346.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 £5.91

$2.04 MX$34.49

292.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 £1.98

$0.58 MX$9.77

362.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 £38.43

$5.97 MX$101

770.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.62 MX$27.31

27.78%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

72.90%

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

$42.0K £31.1K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

57.70%

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

$344 £254

$65.2 MX$1,103

427.10%

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

$19.34 £14.29

$29.87 MX$505

-35.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.48 £32.88

$36.55 MX$618

21.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 £50.1

$61.0 MX$1,031

11.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 £15.80

$26.70 MX$451

-19.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 £13.14

$6.85 MX$116

159.42%

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

$2,574 £1,903

$453 MX$7,664

467.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K £22.3K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

126.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 £67.4

$75.0 MX$1,267

21.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.47 £35.83

$55.3 MX$935

-12.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 £69.8

$114 MX$1,920

-16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 £97.3

$123 MX$2,073

7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 £1,577

$1,134 MX$19.2K

88.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 £1,325

$712 MX$12.0K

151.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,280 £2,424

$2,571 MX$43.5K

27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,691 £1,990

$1,311 MX$22.2K

105.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,088 £6,718

$3,993 MX$67.5K

127.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,091 £4,502

$2,095 MX$35.4K

190.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,436 £3,279

$1,047 MX$17.7K

323.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

11.3

-55.40%

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

Last update for Cambridge: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,134 in Cambridge versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 324% higher in Cambridge, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Cambridge versus $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Cambridge vs $345 in Mexico City – so Cambridge wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 101%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,962 per month in Cambridge and $2,469 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Cambridge and $52.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,308 in Cambridge and $1,646 in Mexico City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,646, than in Cambridge at $3,308. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cambridge it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cambridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.