Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and St.Catharines

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,309 in St.Catharines, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in St.Catharines
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St.Catharines Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

St.Catharines

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,309

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in St.Catharines

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,309 in St.Catharines.

Mexico City $1,548
St.Catharines $2,309

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $3,210 in St.Catharines.

Mexico City $2,436
St.Catharines $3,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $4,111 in St.Catharines.

Mexico City $3,323
St.Catharines $4,111

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 33% less than in St.Catharines, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, St.Catharines 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$14.32 CA$20.24

-23.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$57.6 CA$81.5

-15.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$12.63 CA$17.86

-13.70%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$3.03 CA$4.29

21.45%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.65 CA$2.34

-1.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.60 CA$2.27

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$4.65 CA$6.58

-30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$4.61 CA$6.52

19.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$2.09 CA$2.96

-18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.18 CA$3.08

38.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$4.60 CA$6.50

-58.26%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.28 CA$6.06

-36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$14.90 CA$21.06

-21.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$11.22 CA$15.86

-15.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$14.04 CA$19.85

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.19 CA$7.34

-41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.11 CA$1.57

70.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$4.36 CA$6.17

-54.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.14 CA$5.85

-47.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.82 CA$3.99

-31.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$4.39 CA$6.20

-57.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.60 CA$3.67

-44.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$1.29 CA$1.83

-1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$13.73 CA$19.41

-61.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$12.65 CA$17.88

27.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$3.00 CA$4.24

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.02 CA$4.28

39.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$2.46 CA$3.48

-86.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$70.9 CA$100

-72.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.88 CA$4.07

-30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.22 CA$3.14

-76.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$22.28 CA$31.50

-76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.15 CA$1.63

32.17%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$26.4K CA$37.4K

-16.44%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$22.0K CA$31.1K

11.49%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$178 CA$251

-65.67%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$33.39 CA$47.21

-14.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$47.75 CA$67.5

-27.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$31.41 CA$44.41

79.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$41.10 CA$58.1

-39.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$11.04 CA$15.60

-39.67%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$504 CA$713

-15.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-57.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$73.6 CA$104

-7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$52.2 CA$73.8

-0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$80.1 CA$113

32.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$76.7 CA$108

46.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,210 CA$1,710

-15.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$1,159 CA$1,638

-43.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,707 CA$2,413

35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,557 CA$2,201

-20.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$3,026 CA$4,277

19.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$2,705 CA$3,824

-28.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$2,969 CA$4,198

-67.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.71

97.90%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for St.Catharines: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

St.Catharines

$1.2K 50.2% 77.1% $505

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

St.Catharines

$381 16.5% 19.9% $63

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

St.Catharines

$234 10.2% 15% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

St.Catharines

$127 5.5% 16.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

St.Catharines

$259 11.2% 109% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

St.Catharines

$53 2.3% 23.2% $16

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

St.Catharines

$95 4.1% 270% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,210 in St.Catharines. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St.Catharines 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 $58.0 in St.Catharines for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $381 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇦 St.Catharines

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

03:02 3:02 AM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

133,113

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City St.Catharines 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
St.Catharines

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 St.Catharines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and St.Catharines differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $2,309 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 St.Catharines. 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,210 in St.Catharines. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 261% less than in St.Catharines. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $504 in St.Catharines. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $2,309 in St.Catharines, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in St.Catharines. 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 49% less than in St.Catharines. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.