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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Thompson versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,748 in Thompson versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,658 in Thompson versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Thompson is roughly 10% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thompson 33% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 CA$25.13

$12.14 MX$206

49.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 CA$94.3

$53.9 MX$916

26.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 CA$14.81

$11.09 MX$188

-3.70%

Cappuccino

$3.67 CA$5.09

$4.10 MX$69.6

-10.49%

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

$2.02 CA$2.80

$1.68 MX$28.57

20.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.25

$1.39 MX$23.58

16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 CA$7.45

$3.33 MX$56.6

61.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.90

$5.88 MX$99.9

-3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.84

$1.85 MX$31.45

10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 CA$3.56

$3.17 MX$53.9

-18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.76

$2.07 MX$35.18

65.70%

Eggs

$3.58 CA$4.96

$2.93 MX$49.74

22.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.00

$12.59 MX$214

-19.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.04

$10.11 MX$172

14.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.06 CA$20.88

$16.09 MX$273

-6.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.23

$3.39 MX$57.6

11.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$2.08 MX$35.31

-37.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.30

$2.12 MX$36.02

80.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.38

$2.41 MX$41.01

61.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.50

$2.13 MX$36.17

18.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.05

$2.01 MX$34.07

9.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CA$3.40

$1.55 MX$26.25

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.21

$1.36 MX$23.19

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.65 CA$20.32

$5.77 MX$98.0

153.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CA$17.37

$17.74 MX$301

-29.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.65

$2.07 MX$35.16

27.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.47

$4.61 MX$78.4

-30.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 CA$3.17

$0.37 MX$6.21

518.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 CA$87.4

$21.18 MX$360

197.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 CA$4.20

$2.05 MX$34.89

47.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.11

$0.58 MX$9.80

162.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 CA$32.84

$6.07 MX$103

290.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.55

$1.55 MX$26.38

-27.74%

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

$28.6K CA$39.6K

$22.9K MX$388.6K

24.96%

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

$19.4K CA$26.9K

$27.2K MX$462.7K

-28.75%

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

$137 CA$191

$67.4 MX$1,145

103.87%

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

$39.79 CA$55.2

$30.62 MX$520

29.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CA$80.1

$37.24 MX$633

55.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 CA$58.3

$61.5 MX$1,044

-31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.84 CA$26.12

$27.12 MX$461

-30.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 CA$15.67

$7.11 MX$121

58.93%

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

$761 CA$1,055

$456 MX$7,750

66.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.5K

$13.7K MX$232.6K

-2.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$74.2 MX$1,260

-27.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 CA$54.5

$57.0 MX$969

-31.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 CA$119

$115 MX$1,961

-25.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$141

$122 MX$2,064

-16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 CA$948

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-40.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 CA$937

$709 MX$12.1K

-4.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 CA$1,547

$2,577 MX$43.8K

-56.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 CA$1,579

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-12.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,363 CA$6,051

$4,005 MX$68.0K

8.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,690 CA$5,117

$2,130 MX$36.2K

73.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,561 CA$2,165

$1,082 MX$18.4K

44.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.3

-58.58%

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

Last update for Thompson: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $684 in Thompson and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thompson pays 44% 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: $68.0 in Thompson vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 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

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

Thompson and Mexico City differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Thompson, 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: $684 in Thompson versus $1,148 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 198% less than in Thompson. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $761 in Thompson versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,837 in Thompson, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Thompson. 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 10% less than in Thompson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.