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: $1,924 in Terrace versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,875 in Terrace versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,826 in Terrace versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Terrace is roughly 32% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Terrace 44% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 CA$25.80

$13.07 MX$228

40.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 CA$117

$53.8 MX$936

54.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 CA$15.62

$9.68 MX$169

14.67%

Cappuccino

$3.85 CA$5.42

$3.74 MX$65.1

2.94%

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

$1.96 CA$2.76

$1.62 MX$28.13

20.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.33

$1.16 MX$20.23

43.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 CA$6.17

$3.23 MX$56.2

35.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.50

$4.74 MX$82.5

27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.44

$1.65 MX$28.68

47.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CA$3.94

$2.75 MX$47.95

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 CA$7.65

$1.87 MX$32.63

190.91%

Eggs

$3.90 CA$5.49

$2.50 MX$43.54

56.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 CA$12.99

$10.20 MX$178

-9.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 CA$22.67

$8.25 MX$144

95.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 CA$19.98

$11.82 MX$206

20.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.02

$3.01 MX$52.4

42.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.81 MX$31.54

-32.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.59

$2.00 MX$34.81

63.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 CA$5.53

$2.00 MX$34.74

96.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.59

$2.08 MX$36.30

56.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.27 MX$39.56

40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$1.46 MX$25.36

71.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CA$1.42

$1.08 MX$18.74

-6.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.91 CA$16.75

$4.35 MX$75.7

173.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 CA$19.09

$16.99 MX$296

-20.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.20

$1.73 MX$30.18

31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 CA$2.70

$3.58 MX$62.3

-46.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$0.39 MX$6.74

282.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.93 CA$44.93

$18.69 MX$325

70.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 CA$4.34

$1.33 MX$23.08

131.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.07

$0.28 MX$4.87

425.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.11 CA$36.74

$5.25 MX$91.5

397.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.34 MX$23.27

-11.19%

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

$28.4K CA$40.0K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

46.42%

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

$21.2K CA$29.8K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

-11.21%

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

$98.1 CA$138

$40.69 MX$709

141.14%

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

$40.30 CA$56.7

$26.87 MX$468

49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 CA$87.8

$30.51 MX$531

104.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 CA$61.1

$52.8 MX$919

-17.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 CA$13.05

$6.51 MX$113

42.40%

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

$734 CA$1,032

$428 MX$7,454

71.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.8K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.31 CA$53.9

$57.3 MX$997

-33.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.30 CA$45.45

$45.50 MX$792

-29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 CA$116

$104 MX$1,812

-20.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.22 CA$65.0

$108 MX$1,878

-57.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 CA$1,464

$1,003 MX$17.5K

3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$854 CA$1,202

$623 MX$10.8K

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 CA$2,390

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 CA$1,958

$1,218 MX$21.2K

14.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,419 CA$6,217

$3,885 MX$67.6K

13.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 CA$4,625

$2,033 MX$35.4K

61.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,217 CA$4,527

$1,038 MX$18.1K

210.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

11.34

-53.97%

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

Last update for Terrace: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,040 in Terrace and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Terrace pays 210% 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: $83.0 in Terrace vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $292 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,924 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 210% 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: $1,040 in Terrace versus $1,003 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 71% less than in Terrace. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $734 in Terrace versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,924 in Terrace, a $2,000 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 32% less than in Terrace. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.