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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,534 in Ottawa versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,628 in Ottawa versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,722 in Ottawa versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Ottawa is roughly 73% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ottawa 89% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.49 CA$25.71

$13.18 MX$228

40.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$104

$53.9 MX$931

38.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 CA$15.90

$9.42 MX$163

21.34%

Cappuccino

$3.90 CA$5.43

$3.55 MX$61.3

9.86%

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

$2.06 CA$2.87

$1.62 MX$27.95

27.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.39

$1.11 MX$19.25

54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 CA$8.36

$3.12 MX$53.9

92.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 CA$9.07

$4.63 MX$80.0

40.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.70 MX$29.40

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.79

$2.72 MX$46.97

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CA$4.61

$1.91 MX$33.04

73.82%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$4.98

$2.54 MX$43.82

40.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CA$15.78

$10.03 MX$173

13.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 CA$18.37

$8.09 MX$140

63.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 CA$21.88

$11.62 MX$201

35.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.82

$2.97 MX$51.3

40.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.90

$1.81 MX$31.21

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.73

$2.01 MX$34.79

69.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.05

$2.03 MX$35.16

78.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.48

$2.12 MX$36.71

18.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.43

$2.27 MX$39.21

40.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CA$3.16

$1.40 MX$24.20

62.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.19

$1.13 MX$19.53

38.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 CA$19.16

$4.27 MX$73.8

222.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 CA$15.04

$15.56 MX$269

-30.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.34

$1.76 MX$30.36

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.31

$3.60 MX$62.1

-13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 CA$4.21

$0.38 MX$6.62

694.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.7 CA$136

$19.18 MX$331

409.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$3.99

$1.38 MX$23.77

107.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$0.28 MX$4.78

403.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.58 CA$27.22

$5.45 MX$94.1

259.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.54

$1.30 MX$22.53

-14.62%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

35.56%

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

$21.6K CA$30.0K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

-6.60%

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

$164 CA$228

$40.86 MX$706

301.66%

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

$42.87 CA$59.6

$26.81 MX$463

59.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 CA$71.7

$29.96 MX$518

72.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.92 CA$66.6

$52.0 MX$899

-7.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.23 CA$22.58

$26.84 MX$464

-39.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 CA$15.15

$6.30 MX$109

73.02%

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

$898 CA$1,249

$436 MX$7,536

105.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.3K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

54.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$74.3

$56.7 MX$979

-5.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 CA$56.4

$44.38 MX$767

-8.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 CA$126

$103 MX$1,779

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 CA$132

$106 MX$1,823

-9.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 CA$2,086

$1,022 MX$17.7K

46.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 CA$1,792

$631 MX$10.9K

104.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,337 CA$3,250

$2,136 MX$36.9K

9.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 CA$2,651

$1,243 MX$21.5K

53.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,478 CA$6,228

$3,903 MX$67.4K

14.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,704 CA$6,542

$2,064 MX$35.7K

127.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,660 CA$5,091

$1,115 MX$19.3K

228.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.48

11.34

-51.68%

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

Last update for Ottawa: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,500 in Ottawa and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ottawa pays 228% 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: $75.0 in Ottawa vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

Ottawa vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ottawa and Mexico City differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($2,534 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ottawa pays 228% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,500 in Ottawa versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 409% less than in Ottawa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $898 in Ottawa versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,534 in Ottawa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Ottawa. 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, Ottawa and Mexico City 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 73% less than in Ottawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.