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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,082 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $2,855 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $3,627 in Cambridge.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 25% less than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Cambridge 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$200

$14.02 NZ$24.93

-20.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$880

$66.4 NZ$118

-26.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$202

$8.76 NZ$15.57

28.20%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$67.5

$3.40 NZ$6.05

10.59%

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

$1.65 MX$29.69

$2.00 NZ$3.55

-17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$22.98

$1.92 NZ$3.41

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$58.5

$6.01 NZ$10.68

-45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$102

$6.68 NZ$11.87

-15.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.52

$1.58 NZ$2.80

14.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$52.8

$2.23 NZ$3.97

31.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$36.82

$1.81 NZ$3.22

13.26%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$52.6

$6.22 NZ$11.05

-52.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$215

$8.64 NZ$15.36

38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$171

$9.43 NZ$16.76

0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$267

$12.74 NZ$22.65

16.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$56.5

$2.55 NZ$4.53

23.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.20

$2.19 NZ$3.90

-8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.29

$2.91 NZ$5.17

-28.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$39.86

$5.74 NZ$10.20

-61.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.01

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-4.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$33.73

$1.51 NZ$2.69

24.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.60

$2.28 NZ$4.05

-35.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.17

$1.09 NZ$1.94

23.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$97.2

$25.82 NZ$45.91

-79.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$303

$10.13 NZ$18.02

66.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$35.66

$3.40 NZ$6.04

-41.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$77.7

$3.81 NZ$6.77

13.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.20

$2.72 NZ$4.83

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$37.65

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-4.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.53

$2.02 NZ$3.58

-73.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$97.1

$32.15 NZ$57.2

-83.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.31

$1.67 NZ$2.97

-8.98%

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

$21.7K MX$390.5K

$25.2K NZ$44.8K

-13.73%

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

$24.8K MX$445.9K

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

11.70%

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

$63.0 MX$1,132

$100 NZ$178

-37.13%

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

$28.88 MX$519

$26.80 NZ$47.65

7.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$610

$50.0 NZ$89.0

-32.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,002

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$447

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$122

$14.00 NZ$24.88

-51.64%

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

$428 MX$7,687

$665 NZ$1,183

-35.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$213.3K

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

-38.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,258

$62.6 NZ$111

11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$966

$37.22 NZ$66.2

44.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,973

$94.6 NZ$168

16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,070

$103 NZ$184

11.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.1K

$573 NZ$1,019

85.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.1K

$1,107 NZ$1,967

-39.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$42.8K

$1,197 NZ$2,128

98.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.6K

$1,449 NZ$2,577

-13.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$66.8K

$4,500 NZ$8,001

-17.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.5K

$3,934 NZ$6,995

-49.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$17.9K

$2,567 NZ$4,564

-61.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

88.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $573 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 157% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $66.0 in Cambridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $324, with Cambridge 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 157% lower in Cambridge. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $573 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $665 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $66.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,082 in Cambridge, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. 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 Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Cambridge 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 33% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.