Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,981 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,655 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,330 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 81% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 117% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.40 CA$39.16

$12.11 MX$205

134.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 CA$91.2

$52.2 MX$883

26.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 CA$17.78

$10.90 MX$184

18.26%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CA$9.66

$4.05 MX$68.5

73.09%

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

$3.71 CA$5.12

$1.72 MX$29.00

115.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.30

$1.38 MX$23.29

21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 CA$9.29

$3.47 MX$58.6

93.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.82

$5.81 MX$98.2

-2.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 CA$3.43

$1.85 MX$31.33

34.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.56

$3.22 MX$54.5

-19.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.67

$2.09 MX$35.25

62.20%

Eggs

$3.59 CA$4.96

$2.91 MX$49.18

23.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 CA$13.96

$12.49 MX$211

-18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.53 CA$18.65

$10.11 MX$171

33.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 CA$20.23

$15.89 MX$269

-7.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.45

$3.31 MX$56.0

19.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.86

$2.13 MX$35.95

-36.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.28

$2.19 MX$37.03

74.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.37

$2.45 MX$41.37

58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.53

$2.19 MX$37.00

16.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.15

$1.90 MX$32.20

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.43

$1.62 MX$27.31

53.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.24

$1.35 MX$22.82

20.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.27 CA$19.68

$5.43 MX$91.7

162.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 CA$17.53

$17.59 MX$297

-27.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 CA$3.84

$2.07 MX$34.96

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CA$4.42

$4.75 MX$80.2

-32.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.18

$0.34 MX$5.75

579.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 CA$88.8

$21.58 MX$365

198.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 CA$9.14

$2.04 MX$34.49

224.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.95

$0.58 MX$9.77

144.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.39 CA$33.63

$5.97 MX$101

308.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.55

$1.62 MX$27.31

-30.25%

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

$38.8K CA$53.5K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

70.04%

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

$32.0K CA$44.1K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

20.07%

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

$117 CA$161

$65.2 MX$1,103

79.25%

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

$39.60 CA$54.6

$29.87 MX$505

32.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CA$79.4

$36.55 MX$618

57.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.22 CA$58.2

$61.0 MX$1,031

-30.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 CA$25.27

$26.70 MX$451

-31.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.42 CA$11.61

$6.85 MX$116

22.92%

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

$776 CA$1,070

$453 MX$7,664

71.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K CA$18.8K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$73.7

$75.0 MX$1,267

-28.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 CA$52.9

$55.3 MX$935

-30.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 CA$120

$114 MX$1,920

-23.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$142

$123 MX$2,073

-16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CA$2,519

$1,134 MX$19.2K

61.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 CA$2,355

$712 MX$12.0K

139.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,929 CA$4,038

$2,571 MX$43.5K

13.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,445 CA$4,751

$1,311 MX$22.2K

162.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,330 CA$5,971

$3,993 MX$67.5K

8.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,729 CA$5,142

$2,095 MX$35.4K

77.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CA$5,799

$1,047 MX$17.7K

301.70%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,827 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 302% 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 Iqaluit, NU vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 302% 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: $1,827 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $776 in Iqaluit, NU versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $2,981 in Iqaluit, NU, a $3,000 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 81% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.