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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,985 in Scarborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,342 in Mexico City versus $2,840 in Scarborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Mexico City versus $3,696 in Scarborough.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 25% less than in Scarborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Scarborough 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$14.49 £10.73

-8.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$69.5 £51.5

-22.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$10.20 £7.56

-8.92%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$4.41 £3.27

-18.14%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$2.17 £1.61

-28.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.96 £0.71

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$5.82 £4.32

-46.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$4.76 £3.52

-1.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.50 £1.11

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$1.63 £1.21

69.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$2.42 £1.79

-19.01%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$3.78 £2.80

-31.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$8.98 £6.66

10.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$8.21 £6.09

-1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$9.40 £6.97

22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$3.41 £2.53

-15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.45 £1.08

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$1.43 £1.06

39.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.17 £1.60

-5.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$1.16 £0.86

79.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$1.51 £1.12

45.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$1.05 £0.78

38.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.82 £1.35

-41.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$11.52 £8.53

-62.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$10.77 £7.98

32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$2.81 £2.08

-37.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$2.68 £1.99

38.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$3.05 £2.26

-88.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$96.2 £71.3

-80.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$4.26 £3.16

-68.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.19 £0.88

-76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$16.34 £12.10

-67.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.99 £1.48

-32.66%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$36.2K £26.8K

-47.15%

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$39.0K £28.9K

-38.76%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$281 £208

-85.79%

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

$26.78 MX$465

$16.02 £11.87

67.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$33.93 £25.14

-13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$33.93 £25.15

57.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

$12.88 £9.55

102.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$10.96 £8.12

-41.61%

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

$440 MX$7,647

$1,738 £1,288

-74.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$18.3K £13.6K

-41.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$68.2 £50.5

-15.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$36.70 £27.19

22.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$113 £83.5

-7.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$89.3 £66.1

20.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$895 £663

13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$858 £636

-26.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$1,586 £1,175

36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$1,199 £888

1.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

$2,091 £1,549

-48.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.45

108.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Mexico City and $895 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 95% 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: $54 in Mexico City vs $69 in Scarborough. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $268, with Scarborough 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 Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Scarborough differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,985 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Scarborough earns 95% less. 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: $1,013 in Mexico City versus $895 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 401% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $440 in Mexico City versus $1,738 in Scarborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,985 in Scarborough, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Scarborough 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 34% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.