Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,950

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iqaluit, NU and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Iqaluit, NU and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Iqaluit, NU $2,950
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,618 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Iqaluit, NU $4,618
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,286 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Iqaluit, NU $6,286
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 91% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 118% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.52 CA$38.91

$11.02 MX$204

149.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 CA$91.6

$48.68 MX$900

33.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 CA$18.24

$10.90 MX$201

18.35%

Cappuccino

$7.04 CA$9.95

$3.68 MX$68.1

91.30%

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

$3.63 CA$5.14

$1.63 MX$30.18

122.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.25 MX$23.07

30.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 CA$9.29

$3.25 MX$60.1

102.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 CA$8.23

$5.53 MX$102

5.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.41

$1.70 MX$31.50

42.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$3.02 MX$55.8

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$1.92 MX$35.53

76.04%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$2.73 MX$50.5

26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 CA$14.01

$11.77 MX$218

-15.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 CA$19.19

$9.53 MX$176

42.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 CA$21.10

$14.41 MX$266

3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.19

$3.02 MX$55.8

21.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.80

$1.89 MX$35.01

-32.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.20

$1.99 MX$36.70

84.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$2.19 MX$40.38

76.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$1.92 MX$35.43

26.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$1.87 MX$34.49

16.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.44 MX$26.62

70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$1.27 MX$23.39

25.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.48

$5.22 MX$96.4

163.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.79

$16.17 MX$299

-22.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.90 MX$35.03

35.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.45

$4.22 MX$78.0

-25.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$0.34 MX$6.30

585.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 CA$86.7

$19.65 MX$363

212.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 CA$9.09

$2.00 MX$36.90

221.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$0.52 MX$9.67

182.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.63 CA$36.23

$5.34 MX$98.7

379.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.52 MX$28.13

-20.39%

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

$37.2K CA$52.6K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

68.68%

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

$31.3K CA$44.3K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

27.87%

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

$117 CA$166

$61.1 MX$1,129

91.81%

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

$38.21 CA$54.0

$28.58 MX$528

33.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CA$76.8

$34.47 MX$637

57.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.12 CA$58.1

$56.4 MX$1,042

-27.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 CA$25.45

$24.88 MX$460

-27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 CA$11.28

$6.66 MX$123

19.82%

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

$698 CA$986

$427 MX$7,891

63.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.7K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

13.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 CA$74.8

$67.8 MX$1,253

-21.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 CA$54.7

$52.0 MX$960

-25.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$120

$106 MX$1,959

-20.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$113 MX$2,080

-8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CA$2,593

$1,025 MX$18.9K

78.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 CA$2,404

$654 MX$12.1K

159.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 CA$4,103

$2,308 MX$42.7K

25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,459 CA$4,890

$1,242 MX$22.9K

178.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,284 CA$6,056

$3,613 MX$66.8K

18.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,562 CA$5,035

$1,936 MX$35.8K

83.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CA$5,944

$964 MX$17.8K

336.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

11.3

-52.92%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 57.6%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 61.5% $1K

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$409 13.9%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 50.1% $205

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$364 12.3%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 12.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$210 7.1%

Mexico City

$124 8% 40.8% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$126 4.3%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 21.1% $27

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 69.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 22.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 336% 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 Iqaluit, NU vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $318 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

2 h behind Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iqaluit, NU Mexico City 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Iqaluit, NU vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 336% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Iqaluit, NU versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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 Iqaluit, NU, 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 91% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.