Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,707 in Canary Islands versus $1,668 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,451 in Canary Islands versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,196 in Canary Islands versus $3,557 in Mexico City.

Living in Canary Islands is roughly 2% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canary Islands 27% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 €17.91

$12.03 MX$213

69.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 €53.8

$52.8 MX$937

15.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 €8.62

$11.69 MX$207

-16.08%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.78

$3.87 MX$68.7

-47.80%

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

$1.94 €1.71

$1.75 MX$31.05

10.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.39 MX$24.74

-15.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.48

$3.36 MX$59.6

-16.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.11

$5.77 MX$102

-38.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.12

$1.81 MX$32.04

-29.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.22

$3.08 MX$54.7

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.43

$2.13 MX$37.78

-23.94%

Eggs

$2.33 €2.04

$2.98 MX$52.8

-21.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.05 €17.62

$12.53 MX$222

60.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €9.09

$10.24 MX$182

1.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 €15.61

$15.92 MX$282

11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.41

$3.39 MX$60.1

-19.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.11 MX$37.37

13.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.94

$2.13 MX$37.73

3.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.24

$2.47 MX$43.77

3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.91

$2.04 MX$36.16

6.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$2.01 MX$35.72

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.47

$1.59 MX$28.25

5.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.81

$1.33 MX$23.58

-30.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 €4.05

$5.49 MX$97.4

-16.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.86

$17.52 MX$311

-55.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.51

$2.01 MX$35.74

-14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.59

$4.74 MX$84.1

-62.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 €0.72

$0.34 MX$5.96

141.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.84

$2.05 MX$36.41

113.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.49

$0.61 MX$10.79

177.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.44 €15.32

$5.70 MX$101

205.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.59 MX$28.20

5.03%

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

$25.2K €22.1K

$22.9K MX$406.1K

10.06%

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

$29.7K €26.1K

$26.4K MX$467.9K

12.45%

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

$126 €111

$64.2 MX$1,140

95.92%

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

$21.66 €19.03

$29.42 MX$522

-26.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.41 €31.11

$36.83 MX$653

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 €43.28

$58.7 MX$1,042

-16.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.45 €21.48

$26.54 MX$471

-7.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.90

$6.95 MX$123

45.61%

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

$415 €364

$463 MX$8,210

-10.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,134 €4,511

$13.4K MX$237.1K

-61.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 €59.8

$75.4 MX$1,338

-9.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 €35.18

$54.2 MX$962

-26.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 €81.4

$111 MX$1,972

-16.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €99.9

$122 MX$2,167

-6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,009

$1,133 MX$20.1K

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 €599

$698 MX$12.4K

-2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 €767

$1,303 MX$23.1K

-32.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 €1,243

$1,052 MX$18.7K

34.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

11.3

-70.53%

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

Last update for Canary Islands: September 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Canary Islands and $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 34% 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: $61.0 in Canary Islands vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $343, with Canary Islands 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

Canary Islands vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Canary Islands. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Canary Islands, 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: $1,148 in Canary Islands versus $1,133 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Canary Islands pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,707 per month in Canary Islands versus $1,668 in Mexico City – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,668 in Mexico City versus $1,707 in Canary Islands, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Canary Islands. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,668 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Canary Islands 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 2% less than in Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.