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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,593 in Scarborough versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,460 in Scarborough versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,326 in Scarborough versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 77% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 94% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.39

$13.18 MX$228

38.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 CA$111

$53.9 MX$931

48.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 CA$15.52

$9.42 MX$163

18.47%

Cappuccino

$4.22 CA$5.86

$3.55 MX$61.3

18.87%

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

$2.17 CA$3.02

$1.62 MX$27.95

33.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$1.11 MX$19.25

36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$7.99

$3.12 MX$53.9

83.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 CA$9.14

$4.63 MX$80.0

41.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.70 MX$29.40

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.56

$2.72 MX$46.97

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.74

$1.91 MX$33.04

40.84%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$4.91

$2.54 MX$43.82

38.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 CA$18.86

$10.03 MX$173

35.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.05

$8.09 MX$140

42.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 CA$20.72

$11.62 MX$201

28.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.80

$2.97 MX$51.3

16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 CA$1.58

$1.81 MX$31.21

-37.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.01 MX$34.79

46.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.91

$2.03 MX$35.16

73.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$2.12 MX$36.71

-24.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 CA$3.62

$2.27 MX$39.21

14.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.08

$1.40 MX$24.20

57.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$1.13 MX$19.53

40.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.38 CA$18.61

$4.27 MX$73.8

213.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 CA$17.74

$15.56 MX$269

-17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$1.76 MX$30.36

43.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.52

$3.60 MX$62.1

-29.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$0.38 MX$6.62

534.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CA$146

$19.18 MX$331

447.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 CA$4.31

$1.38 MX$23.77

124.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.71

$0.28 MX$4.78

339.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.02 CA$32.01

$5.45 MX$94.1

322.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.53

$1.30 MX$22.53

-15.38%

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

$24.7K CA$34.3K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

32.10%

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

$21.3K CA$29.6K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

-8.03%

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

$179 CA$249

$40.86 MX$706

338.23%

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

$42.53 CA$59.2

$26.81 MX$463

58.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 CA$74.7

$29.96 MX$518

79.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.41 CA$52.0

$52.0 MX$899

-28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 CA$19.80

$6.30 MX$109

126.03%

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

$843 CA$1,173

$436 MX$7,536

93.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

4.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 CA$80.3

$56.7 MX$979

1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 CA$59.8

$44.38 MX$767

-3.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 CA$120

$103 MX$1,779

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$143

$106 MX$1,823

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 CA$2,420

$1,022 MX$17.7K

70.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 CA$1,947

$631 MX$10.9K

121.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 CA$3,063

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,265

$1,243 MX$21.5K

31.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,653 CA$10.6K

$3,903 MX$67.4K

96.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,335 CA$8,810

$2,064 MX$35.7K

206.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,040 CA$4,228

$1,115 MX$19.3K

172.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

11.34

-46.38%

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

Last update for Scarborough: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,740 in Scarborough and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 173% 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: $80.0 in Scarborough vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 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

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

Scarborough and Mexico City differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,593 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Scarborough pays 173% 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: $1,740 in Scarborough 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 447% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Scarborough 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 $2,593 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.