Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Richmond

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $2,453 in Richmond, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Richmond
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Richmond Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Richmond

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,453 in Richmond.

Mexico City $1,561
Richmond $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $3,549 in Richmond.

Mexico City $2,440
Richmond $3,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $4,646 in Richmond.

Mexico City $3,319
Richmond $4,646

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 36% less than in Richmond, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 16% above, Richmond 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$15.91 CA$22.68

-30.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$70.1 CA$99.9

-30.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$8.96 CA$12.78

25.33%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$4.33 CA$6.17

-13.16%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$1.93 CA$2.75

-14.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$1.50 CA$2.14

-14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$5.34 CA$7.62

-38.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$5.63 CA$8.02

0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$2.17 CA$3.09

-16.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$2.14 CA$3.04

37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$2.30 CA$3.28

-10.87%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$3.06 CA$4.36

-4.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$8.49 CA$12.11

40.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$10.80 CA$15.40

-11.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$9.91 CA$14.13

49.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$2.57 CA$3.67

22.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$1.29 CA$1.84

55.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$2.55 CA$3.63

-18.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$3.60 CA$5.13

-38.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$2.12 CA$3.02

-2.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$1.79 CA$2.55

5.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$2.03 CA$2.90

-27.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$1.18 CA$1.68

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$14.05 CA$20.03

-61.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$12.81 CA$18.26

31.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$2.07 CA$2.96

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$2.17 CA$3.09

99.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$2.04 CA$2.90

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$72.7 CA$104

-72.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$2.84 CA$4.05

-26.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$1.37 CA$1.96

-61.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$1.31 CA$1.87

16.03%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$23.4K CA$33.4K

-7.33%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$18.6K CA$26.5K

33.67%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$131 CA$186

-51.79%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$32.78 CA$46.72

-11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$45.17 CA$64.4

-24.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$25.84 CA$36.83

115.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

$2.36 CA$3.37

955.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$11.93 CA$17.01

-43.25%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$792 CA$1,129

-46.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

$10.4K CA$14.9K

13.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$51.4 CA$73.2

36.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$32.59 CA$46.46

64.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$92.0 CA$131

19.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$116 CA$166

-0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$1,843 CA$2,627

-42.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$1,421 CA$2,026

-52.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$2,799 CA$3,990

-15.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$2,328 CA$3,318

-45.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$9,724 CA$13.9K

-61.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$8,013 CA$11.4K

-75.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$3,072 CA$4,379

-67.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

4.77

136.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Richmond: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Richmond

$1.4K 57.9% 112% $751

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Richmond

$295 12% 9.7% $32

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Richmond

$258 10.5% 24.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Richmond

$131 5.4% 16.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Richmond

$209 8.5% 65.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Richmond

$50 2% 28.3% $20

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Richmond

$91 3.7% 244% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $1,843 in Richmond. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richmond pays 208% 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 $70.0 in Richmond. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $295, with Richmond cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇦 Richmond

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

198,309

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Richmond 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Richmond

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 Richmond: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Richmond differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $2,453 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 208% lower in Richmond. 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 $1,843 in Richmond. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 259% less than in Richmond. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $792 in Richmond. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,453 in Richmond, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Richmond. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Richmond. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.