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: $2,626 in Scarborough versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,481 in Scarborough versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,336 in Scarborough versus $3,199 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 95% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 CA$25.08

$13.29 MX$231

37.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 CA$111

$53.8 MX$933

50.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$9.29 MX$161

18.51%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.59

$3.61 MX$62.6

13.02%

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

$2.17 CA$2.97

$1.56 MX$27.03

39.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$1.98

$1.12 MX$19.46

29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 CA$8.21

$3.13 MX$54.3

91.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 CA$9.27

$4.71 MX$81.7

43.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 CA$3.19

$1.70 MX$29.54

37.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.51

$2.77 MX$48.03

-7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.79

$1.96 MX$34.05

40.82%

Eggs

$3.49 CA$4.78

$2.60 MX$45.21

34.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.13

$9.94 MX$173

33.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 CA$15.46

$8.10 MX$141

39.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 CA$19.76

$11.50 MX$200

25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.85

$2.87 MX$49.84

23.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.60

$1.73 MX$30.07

-32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$3.93

$2.00 MX$34.73

43.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.59

$2.04 MX$35.38

64.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 CA$2.20

$2.08 MX$36.14

-23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$2.20 MX$38.12

15.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.04

$1.45 MX$25.24

53.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.15

$1.07 MX$18.63

46.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 CA$18.09

$4.27 MX$74.2

209.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.28 CA$18.20

$14.32 MX$249

-7.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.38

$1.76 MX$30.62

40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.53

$3.70 MX$64.2

-30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$0.35 MX$6.12

605.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CA$142

$19.19 MX$333

440.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.36

$1.34 MX$23.18

137.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 CA$1.62

$0.28 MX$4.83

321.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.61 CA$30.97

$5.33 MX$92.6

324.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$1.34 MX$23.27

-17.91%

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

$25.4K CA$34.8K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

32.70%

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

$20.8K CA$28.5K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

-12.86%

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

$178 CA$244

$39.86 MX$692

347.42%

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

$42.30 CA$58.0

$26.78 MX$465

57.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$75.5

$29.36 MX$510

87.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 CA$49.63

$53.4 MX$927

-32.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 CA$19.53

$6.40 MX$111

122.66%

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

$839 CA$1,150

$440 MX$7,647

90.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$14.9K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$78.8

$57.6 MX$1,000

-0.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 CA$58.7

$45.02 MX$781

-4.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$120

$104 MX$1,801

-15.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$143

$108 MX$1,874

-3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,390

$1,013 MX$17.6K

72.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 CA$1,912

$630 MX$10.9K

121.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 CA$3,049

$2,162 MX$37.5K

2.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 CA$2,257

$1,222 MX$21.2K

34.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,846 CA$10.7K

$3,793 MX$65.8K

106.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,164 CA$8,445

$2,332 MX$40.5K

164.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 CA$4,211

$1,075 MX$18.7K

185.96%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Scarborough and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 186% 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: $81 in Scarborough vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $285 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 ($2,626 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Scarborough pays 186% 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: $1,745 in Scarborough versus $1,013 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 440% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $839 in Scarborough versus $440 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $2,626 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.