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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,918 in Terrace versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,938 in Terrace versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,958 in Terrace versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Terrace is roughly 17% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Terrace 40% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.93 CA$24.73

$12.11 MX$205

48.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 CA$114

$52.2 MX$883

57.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 CA$14.17

$10.90 MX$184

-5.69%

Cappuccino

$4.12 CA$5.68

$4.05 MX$68.5

1.73%

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

$2.18 CA$3.01

$1.72 MX$29.00

26.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CA$2.51

$1.38 MX$23.29

31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 CA$7.33

$3.47 MX$58.6

53.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 CA$7.27

$5.81 MX$98.2

-9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 CA$3.29

$1.85 MX$31.33

29.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CA$3.61

$3.22 MX$54.5

-18.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 CA$7.51

$2.09 MX$35.25

160.29%

Eggs

$3.71 CA$5.11

$2.91 MX$49.18

27.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 CA$12.38

$12.49 MX$211

-28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.72 CA$21.68

$10.11 MX$171

55.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 CA$18.78

$15.89 MX$269

-14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 CA$5.98

$3.31 MX$56.0

31.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$2.13 MX$35.95

-41.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 CA$4.44

$2.19 MX$37.03

47.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.36

$2.45 MX$41.37

58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.61

$2.19 MX$37.00

52.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.31

$1.90 MX$32.20

64.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.40

$1.62 MX$27.31

52.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CA$1.39

$1.35 MX$22.82

-25.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.67 CA$16.09

$5.43 MX$91.7

114.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 CA$18.83

$17.59 MX$297

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 CA$3.10

$2.07 MX$34.96

8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.53

$4.75 MX$80.2

-61.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 CA$2.00

$0.34 MX$5.75

326.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.34 CA$43.22

$21.58 MX$365

45.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 CA$4.59

$2.04 MX$34.49

63.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 CA$2.19

$0.58 MX$9.77

174.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.79 CA$30.05

$5.97 MX$101

264.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.62 MX$27.31

-25.31%

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

$28.0K CA$38.6K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

22.60%

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

$19.3K CA$26.6K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-27.57%

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

$95.3 CA$131

$65.2 MX$1,103

46.06%

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

$39.88 CA$55.0

$29.87 MX$505

33.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 CA$85.7

$36.55 MX$618

70.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.51 CA$58.6

$61.0 MX$1,031

-30.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.92 CA$23.34

$26.70 MX$451

-36.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.11 CA$12.56

$6.85 MX$116

32.99%

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

$774 CA$1,068

$453 MX$7,664

70.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K CA$20.1K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

9.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.31 CA$51.4

$75.0 MX$1,267

-50.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 CA$42.66

$55.3 MX$935

-44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 CA$111

$114 MX$1,920

-29.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$141

$123 MX$2,073

-16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 CA$1,442

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 CA$1,191

$712 MX$12.0K

21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 CA$2,273

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,851

$1,311 MX$22.2K

2.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 CA$6,002

$3,993 MX$67.5K

9.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,082 CA$5,630

$2,095 MX$35.4K

94.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,266 CA$4,504

$1,047 MX$17.7K

211.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

11.3

-55.31%

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

Last update for Terrace: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,046 in Terrace and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Terrace pays 212% 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 Terrace vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $345 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

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

Terrace and Mexico City differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,918 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Terrace, 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: $1,046 in Terrace versus $1,134 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 45% less than in Terrace. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $774 in Terrace versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,918 in Terrace, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Terrace. 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 17% less than in Terrace. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.