Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,253 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Hamilton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,253
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,253 in Hamilton.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Hamilton $2,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $3,331 in Hamilton.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Hamilton $3,331

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $4,408 in Hamilton.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Hamilton $4,408

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 30% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Hamilton 67% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$17.21 CA$24.33
-37.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$65.7 CA$92.8
-23.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$11.87 CA$16.77
-6.49%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$3.37 CA$4.77
9.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$2.22 CA$3.14
-25.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$1.69 CA$2.39
-23.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$4.99 CA$7.05
-33.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$6.03 CA$8.52
-8.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.89 CA$2.67
-6.35%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$2.12 CA$2.99
43.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$3.13 CA$4.43
-35.78%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$3.33 CA$4.70
-16.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$7.88 CA$11.13
51.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$11.30 CA$15.98
-17.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$14.24 CA$20.13
5.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$3.81 CA$5.38
-19.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$1.27 CA$1.79
53.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$3.98 CA$5.63
-48.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$3.82 CA$5.40
-42.15%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$2.71 CA$3.83
-25.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$1.91 CA$2.69
-4.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.95 CA$2.75
-22.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$1.33 CA$1.88
-3.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$12.49 CA$17.65
-57.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$13.95 CA$19.72
15.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$2.65 CA$3.74
-26.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$3.77 CA$5.33
12.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$2.56 CA$3.62
-87.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$84.1 CA$119
-76.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$3.36 CA$4.76
-40.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$1.28 CA$1.82
-58.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$23.24 CA$32.85
-75.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.21 CA$1.71
25.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$27.6K CA$39.1K
-23.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$19.6K CA$27.7K
28.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$152 CA$214
-58.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$41.21 CA$58.3
-30.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$50.2 CA$70.9
-31.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$36.85 CA$52.1
54.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$17.62 CA$24.91
40.81%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$10.23 CA$14.46
-34.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$600 CA$848
-28.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$16.6K CA$23.4K
-29.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$47.93 CA$67.8
47.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$30.45 CA$43.05
70.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$83.8 CA$118
29.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$114 CA$161
-1.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$1,251 CA$1,769
-16.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$1,123 CA$1,588
-40.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$2,042 CA$2,887
14.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$1,873 CA$2,647
-34.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$2,695 CA$3,810
31.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$2,668 CA$3,771
-25.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Hamilton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
$2,860 CA$4,044
-65.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
4.6
145.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Hamilton
$1.1K 68.9% $458
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Hamilton
$335 3.7% $12
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Hamilton
$266 31.3% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Hamilton
$124 19.7% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Hamilton
$243 93.3% $117
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Hamilton
$57 18.7% $13
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Hamilton
$104 304% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $1,251 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 193% 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 $66.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $335 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇨🇦 Hamilton
🕒 Local time
07:41 7:41 AM
09:41 9:41 AM
2 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
519,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Hamilton 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hamilton cheaper than Mexico City?
Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mexico City or Hamilton?
On paper, salaries run 193% lower in Hamilton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Mexico City and Hamilton?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $1,251 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $600 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Mexico City and in Hamilton?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Mexico City or in Hamilton?
At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,253 in Hamilton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Mexico City or Hamilton more family-friendly?
For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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