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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,727 in Surrey versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,080 in Surrey versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,433 in Surrey versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Surrey is roughly 84% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surrey 104% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 CA$24.86

$12.98 MX$227

39.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 CA$112

$53.1 MX$929

54.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 CA$15.32

$9.72 MX$170

15.02%

Cappuccino

$4.18 CA$5.73

$3.75 MX$65.6

11.47%

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

$2.14 CA$2.93

$1.57 MX$27.46

36.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.49

$1.13 MX$19.76

61.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 CA$7.96

$3.18 MX$55.7

82.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CA$9.65

$4.66 MX$81.6

51.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 CA$3.50

$1.62 MX$28.37

58.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.57

$2.71 MX$47.36

-4.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.61 CA$7.69

$1.88 MX$32.89

198.40%

Eggs

$3.65 CA$5.00

$2.51 MX$43.90

45.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 CA$14.38

$10.08 MX$176

4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 CA$15.92

$8.29 MX$145

40.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.75 CA$33.90

$11.94 MX$209

107.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.59

$2.86 MX$50.1

17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.76

$1.75 MX$30.62

-26.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.08

$2.08 MX$36.48

42.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.58

$1.97 MX$34.46

69.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$2.16 MX$37.79

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.77

$2.18 MX$38.16

-7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.44

$1.39 MX$24.34

80.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.67

$1.12 MX$19.69

74.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 CA$20.56

$4.20 MX$73.5

257.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 CA$20.00

$14.25 MX$249

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.93 CA$5.38

$1.76 MX$30.85

123.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 CA$5.26

$3.68 MX$64.5

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 CA$4.22

$0.39 MX$6.74

689.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 CA$175

$18.66 MX$327

585.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 CA$3.76

$1.39 MX$24.26

97.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.01

$0.30 MX$5.32

390.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 CA$39.87

$5.42 MX$94.9

436.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.81

$1.35 MX$23.63

-2.22%

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

$24.6K CA$33.6K

$18.9K MX$330.5K

30.03%

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

$20.8K CA$28.6K

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-9.94%

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

$188 CA$257

$40.82 MX$714

359.63%

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

$41.29 CA$56.6

$27.50 MX$481

50.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 CA$90.4

$30.38 MX$532

117.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.18 CA$61.9

$53.4 MX$935

-15.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.75 CA$25.69

$26.30 MX$460

-28.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.40 CA$16.99

$6.27 MX$110

97.77%

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

$884 CA$1,211

$436 MX$7,632

102.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K CA$17.3K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

20.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 CA$77.9

$56.8 MX$993

0.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 CA$75.1

$44.79 MX$784

22.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$141

$103 MX$1,799

0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 CA$130

$108 MX$1,888

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 CA$2,229

$1,000 MX$17.5K

62.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 CA$1,903

$620 MX$10.9K

123.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,114 CA$4,266

$2,137 MX$37.4K

45.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CA$3,368

$1,235 MX$21.6K

99.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K CA$14.4K

$3,865 MX$67.6K

171.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,524 CA$11.7K

$2,332 MX$40.8K

265.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,110 CA$4,261

$1,067 MX$18.7K

191.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.34

-42.33%

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

Last update for Surrey: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Surrey and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey 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: $82.0 in Surrey vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $286 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

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

Surrey and Mexico City differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,727 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Surrey pays 191% 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: $1,627 in Surrey versus $1,000 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 586% less than in Surrey. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $884 in Surrey versus $436 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 $2,727 in Surrey, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Surrey. 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 84% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.