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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,189 per month in Courtenay vs $1,660 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,083 per month in Courtenay vs $2,565 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,978 per month in Courtenay vs $3,470 in Mexico City, rent included.

Courtenay costs about 32% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Courtenay and Mexico City sit above the global median – Courtenay by 60%, Mexico City by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.59 CA$20.41

$11.92 MX$206

22.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 CA$80.1

$51.6 MX$890

10.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 CA$14.24

$11.41 MX$197

-10.78%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.18

$3.99 MX$68.9

-7.27%

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

$2.03 CA$2.84

$1.66 MX$28.61

22.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.33 MX$22.87

22.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.04

$3.47 MX$59.9

65.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 CA$8.37

$5.90 MX$102

1.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 CA$3.33

$1.88 MX$32.36

26.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$3.25 MX$56.1

-34.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$2.16 MX$37.26

-1.39%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.62

$2.90 MX$49.94

13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 CA$14.30

$12.86 MX$222

-20.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 CA$12.99

$10.05 MX$173

-7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.98 CA$27.95

$15.86 MX$273

25.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.58

$3.29 MX$56.8

-0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.83

$2.01 MX$34.60

-34.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.39

$2.20 MX$37.93

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 CA$4.25

$2.36 MX$40.63

28.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.78

$2.05 MX$35.43

32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.90 MX$32.79

13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 CA$2.83

$1.61 MX$27.68

26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.39

$1.40 MX$24.09

22.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 CA$20.50

$5.46 MX$94.2

168.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$14.87

$17.65 MX$304

-39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.49

$2.06 MX$35.44

21.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$4.68 MX$80.8

-47.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 CA$2.81

$0.34 MX$5.84

491.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.72 CA$61.2

$20.81 MX$359

110.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 CA$3.85

$2.10 MX$36.15

30.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$0.56 MX$9.64

151.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.97 CA$25.13

$5.81 MX$100

209.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.61 MX$27.68

-24.22%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

-9.86%

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

$18.9K CA$26.4K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-29.39%

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

$136 CA$190

$65.2 MX$1,124

108.39%

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

$37.09 CA$51.9

$30.09 MX$519

23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 CA$91.3

$37.18 MX$641

75.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.83 CA$61.3

$59.8 MX$1,030

-26.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.01 CA$54.6

$26.55 MX$458

46.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.71 CA$14.99

$7.04 MX$121

52.13%

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

$1,779 CA$2,489

$465 MX$8,012

282.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K CA$17.3K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-6.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 CA$78.2

$75.9 MX$1,308

-26.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.25 CA$63.3

$56.0 MX$965

-19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 CA$111

$112 MX$1,929

-29.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 CA$85.8

$121 MX$2,078

-49.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 CA$1,724

$1,103 MX$19.0K

11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 CA$1,556

$721 MX$12.4K

54.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,188 CA$3,060

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-13.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,281

$1,293 MX$22.3K

26.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,504 CA$7,700

$3,991 MX$68.8K

37.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,246 CA$4,541

$1,037 MX$17.9K

212.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

11.3

-56.90%

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

Last update for Courtenay: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,232 in Courtenay versus $1,103 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 213% higher in Courtenay, 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 $57.0 in Courtenay versus $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Courtenay vs $345 in Mexico City – so Courtenay 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

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

Yes – Courtenay is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,283 per month in Courtenay and $2,489 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Courtenay – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Courtenay and $52.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,660, than in Courtenay at $2,189. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Courtenay 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.

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