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: $2,549 in Scarborough versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Scarborough versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,443 in Scarborough versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 54% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 86% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 CA$24.54

$11.92 MX$206

47.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 CA$100

$51.6 MX$890

38.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.18

$11.41 MX$197

-4.91%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.72

$3.99 MX$68.9

2.51%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.66 MX$28.61

26.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$1.33 MX$22.87

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 CA$9.01

$3.47 MX$59.9

85.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 CA$9.81

$5.90 MX$102

18.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 CA$3.88

$1.88 MX$32.36

47.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$3.25 MX$56.1

-19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.63

$2.16 MX$37.26

19.91%

Eggs

$3.85 CA$5.39

$2.90 MX$49.94

32.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 CA$14.08

$12.86 MX$222

-21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 CA$15.62

$10.05 MX$173

11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 CA$18.90

$15.86 MX$273

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.91

$3.29 MX$56.8

6.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$2.01 MX$34.60

-40.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.77

$2.20 MX$37.93

55.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$2.36 MX$40.63

73.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$2.05 MX$35.43

-9.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.15

$1.90 MX$32.79

-19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.30

$1.61 MX$27.68

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.40 MX$24.09

6.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 CA$20.44

$5.46 MX$94.2

167.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 CA$17.88

$17.65 MX$304

-27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$2.06 MX$35.44

8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.55

$4.68 MX$80.8

-45.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$0.34 MX$5.84

608.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CA$153

$20.81 MX$359

424.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 CA$4.22

$2.10 MX$36.15

43.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$0.56 MX$9.64

126.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.04 CA$30.83

$5.81 MX$100

279.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.61 MX$27.68

-24.22%

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

$26.9K CA$37.6K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

17.69%

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

$20.7K CA$28.9K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-22.75%

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

$145 CA$202

$65.2 MX$1,124

121.74%

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

$36.27 CA$50.7

$30.09 MX$519

20.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.71 CA$68.1

$37.18 MX$641

31.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 CA$49.64

$59.8 MX$1,030

-40.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.78 CA$50.1

$26.55 MX$458

34.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 CA$18.20

$7.04 MX$121

84.80%

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

$788 CA$1,103

$465 MX$8,012

69.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-18.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 CA$75.4

$75.9 MX$1,308

-28.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 CA$58.2

$56.0 MX$965

-25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 CA$120

$112 MX$1,929

-23.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$121 MX$2,078

-12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CA$2,423

$1,103 MX$19.0K

57.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,922

$721 MX$12.4K

90.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 CA$2,977

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-15.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 CA$2,478

$1,293 MX$22.3K

36.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,645 CA$10.7K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

91.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,108 CA$8,545

$2,090 MX$36.0K

192.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,020 CA$4,225

$1,037 MX$17.9K

191.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

11.3

-60.09%

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

Last update for Scarborough: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Scarborough and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 191% 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: $72.0 in Scarborough vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $345, 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

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

Scarborough and Mexico City differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,549 vs $1,660 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 191% higher in Scarborough, 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: $1,732 in Scarborough versus $1,103 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 424% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $788 in Scarborough versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,549 in Scarborough, a $3,000 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 54% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.