Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,880 in Sydney, NS versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,831 in Sydney, NS versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,782 in Sydney, NS versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Sydney, NS is roughly 27% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney, NS 40% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.69 CA$16.02

$13.29 MX$231

-12.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 CA$83.8

$53.8 MX$933

13.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 CA$9.67

$9.29 MX$161

-24.00%

Cappuccino

$3.00 CA$4.12

$3.61 MX$62.6

-16.90%

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

$2.20 CA$3.01

$1.56 MX$27.03

41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CA$2.71

$1.12 MX$19.46

76.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.64

$3.13 MX$54.3

77.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$7.87

$4.71 MX$81.7

21.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.09

$1.70 MX$29.54

32.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CA$3.55

$2.77 MX$48.03

-6.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$1.96 MX$34.05

29.59%

Eggs

$3.54 CA$4.85

$2.60 MX$45.21

36.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 CA$9.01

$9.94 MX$173

-33.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 CA$11.95

$8.10 MX$141

7.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 CA$19.02

$11.50 MX$200

20.70%

Apples (1kg)

$7.33 CA$10.05

$2.87 MX$49.84

155.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 CA$1.71

$1.73 MX$30.07

-27.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 CA$4.98

$2.00 MX$34.73

81.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.96

$2.04 MX$35.38

-29.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 CA$1.16

$2.08 MX$36.14

-59.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.45

$2.20 MX$38.12

14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.32

$1.45 MX$25.24

67.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.38

$1.07 MX$18.63

62.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.69 CA$25.61

$4.27 MX$74.2

337.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 CA$16.00

$14.32 MX$249

-18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$3.91

$1.76 MX$30.62

61.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 CA$5.88

$3.70 MX$64.2

15.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 CA$1.55

$0.35 MX$6.12

222.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.24 CA$67.5

$19.19 MX$333

156.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 CA$6.21

$1.34 MX$23.18

238.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.95

$0.28 MX$4.83

407.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.31 CA$34.67

$5.33 MX$92.6

374.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.58

$1.34 MX$23.27

-13.43%

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

$24.9K CA$34.2K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

30.37%

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

$20.1K CA$27.5K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

-15.86%

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

$90.9 CA$124

$39.86 MX$692

127.95%

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

$48.11 CA$65.9

$26.78 MX$465

79.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 CA$105

$29.36 MX$510

162.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 CA$68.9

$53.4 MX$927

-5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.63 CA$4.98

$26.09 MX$453

-86.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 CA$10.91

$6.40 MX$111

24.53%

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

$741 CA$1,015

$440 MX$7,647

68.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.2K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

10.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 CA$98.2

$57.6 MX$1,000

24.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 CA$93.3

$45.02 MX$781

51.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$142

$104 MX$1,801

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$108 MX$1,874

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 CA$1,491

$1,013 MX$17.6K

7.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 CA$1,111

$630 MX$10.9K

28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,962 CA$2,687

$2,162 MX$37.5K

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 CA$1,977

$1,222 MX$21.2K

18.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,060 CA$6,933

$3,793 MX$65.8K

33.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,746 CA$5,132

$2,332 MX$40.5K

60.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,560 CA$3,507

$1,075 MX$18.7K

138.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

11.34

-39.59%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: April 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,089 in Sydney, NS and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney, NS pays 138% 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: $61 in Sydney, NS vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 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

Sydney, NS vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney, NS and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,880 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sydney, NS pays 138% 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: $1,089 in Sydney, NS 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 157% less than in Sydney, NS. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $741 in Sydney, NS 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 $1,880 in Sydney, NS, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Sydney, NS. 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 27% less than in Sydney, NS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.