Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Canterbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,981 in Canterbury, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Canterbury
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,981
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Canterbury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,981 in Canterbury.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Canterbury $2,981

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $4,225 in Canterbury.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Canterbury $4,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $5,469 in Canterbury.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Canterbury $5,469

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 47% less than in Canterbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Canterbury 121% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$24.01 £18.01
-55.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$90.5 £67.9
-44.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$10.62 £7.97
4.52%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$4.63 £3.48
-20.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$2.65 £1.99
-37.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$2.14 £1.60
-39.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$7.25 £5.44
-54.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$6.56 £4.92
-15.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.47 £1.10
20.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$2.34 £1.76
30.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$1.69 £1.27
18.93%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$3.03 £2.27
-8.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$9.21 £6.91
29.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$7.63 £5.72
22.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$27.79 £20.85
-45.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$3.02 £2.26
1.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$1.46 £1.09
33.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$3.01 £2.26
-32.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$3.18 £2.38
-30.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$1.60 £1.20
26.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$1.45 £1.09
25.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.66 £1.25
-8.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$2.77 £2.08
-53.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$23.23 £17.42
-77.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$15.67 £11.76
2.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$2.67 £2.00
-26.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$3.89 £2.92
9.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$4.07 £3.06
-92.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$141 £106
-85.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$5.04 £3.78
-60.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$2.60 £1.95
-79.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$21.42 £16.07
-73.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.97 £1.48
-22.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$37.2K £27.9K
-43.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$41.0K £30.8K
-38.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$389 £292
-83.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$35.31 £26.49
-18.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$53.8 £40.35
-35.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$54.0 £40.47
5.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$37.96 £28.47
-34.64%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$20.04 £15.04
-66.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$844 £633
-48.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$19.6K £14.7K
-40.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$96.2 £72.1
-26.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$52.1 £39.05
-0.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$79.1 £59.3
37.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$144 £108
-22.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$1,407 £1,056
-25.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$1,360 £1,020
-51.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$2,381 £1,786
-1.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$2,018 £1,514
-39.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$5,179 £3,886
-31.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$4,404 £3,304
-55.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Canterbury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$3,172 £2,380
-69.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
5.51
105.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Canterbury
$1.4K 105% $695
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Canterbury
$358 10.9% $35
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Canterbury
$348 71.5% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Canterbury
$167 8.1% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Canterbury
$478 281% $353
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Canterbury
$94 33.5% $24
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Canterbury
$176 582% $150

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $1,407 in Canterbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canterbury pays 225% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $91.0 in Canterbury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $358 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇬🇧 Canterbury
🕒 Local time
23:31 11:31 PM
06:31 6:31 AM
7 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
43,400
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Canterbury 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Canterbury

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
Mexico City vs Canterbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Canterbury?
Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Canterbury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Mexico City or in Canterbury?
On paper, salaries run 225% lower in Canterbury. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Mexico City compared to Canterbury?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $1,407 in Canterbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Mexico City and in Canterbury?
Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $844 in Canterbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Mexico City or in Canterbury?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Canterbury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Mexico City or in Canterbury?
At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,981 in Canterbury, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Canterbury. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mexico City or Canterbury?
Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,567 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.
How safe is Mexico City compared to Canterbury?
Safety-wise, Mexico City and Canterbury are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Canterbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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