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: $1,825 in Thompson versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,799 in Thompson versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Thompson versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Thompson is roughly 24% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thompson 37% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.11

$13.14 MX$229

30.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$99.6

$53.5 MX$934

32.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 CA$15.63

$9.33 MX$163

19.29%

Cappuccino

$3.87 CA$5.43

$3.70 MX$64.5

4.59%

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

$2.06 CA$2.89

$1.60 MX$27.98

28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.43

$1.12 MX$19.49

54.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 CA$7.76

$3.14 MX$54.7

76.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.02

$4.85 MX$84.5

17.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.65 MX$28.84

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.75

$2.71 MX$47.34

-1.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.91

$1.91 MX$33.29

83.25%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.94

$2.59 MX$45.17

35.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 CA$15.91

$9.81 MX$171

15.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 CA$16.62

$8.43 MX$147

40.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 CA$20.24

$11.93 MX$208

20.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.66

$2.95 MX$51.5

36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.74 MX$30.35

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.11

$2.04 MX$35.66

78.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.39

$2.06 MX$35.93

86.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.35

$2.15 MX$37.49

10.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$2.26 MX$39.33

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$1.39 MX$24.17

79.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$1.12 MX$19.47

59.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.85 CA$19.45

$4.22 MX$73.6

228.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 CA$17.47

$17.51 MX$305

-28.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 CA$3.95

$1.71 MX$29.82

64.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.21

$3.63 MX$63.4

-17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$0.35 MX$6.15

565.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 CA$87.9

$19.32 MX$337

224.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.56

$1.38 MX$24.00

135.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$0.28 MX$4.81

417.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.62 CA$35.95

$5.28 MX$92.0

385.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.58

$1.36 MX$23.69

-16.91%

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

$25.1K CA$35.3K

$19.1K MX$333.2K

31.50%

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

$20.4K CA$28.6K

$23.6K MX$411.7K

-13.78%

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

$143 CA$200

$40.53 MX$707

252.41%

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

$43.01 CA$60.4

$27.38 MX$478

57.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 CA$86.8

$30.38 MX$530

103.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.37 CA$58.1

$52.2 MX$911

-20.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 CA$16.04

$6.19 MX$108

84.65%

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

$742 CA$1,041

$425 MX$7,414

74.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.4K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

8.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 CA$77.0

$58.3 MX$1,017

-5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 CA$56.1

$44.57 MX$777

-10.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$122

$103 MX$1,805

-15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$109 MX$1,897

-2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 CA$983

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 CA$981

$623 MX$10.9K

12.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 CA$1,612

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-45.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 CA$1,607

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-6.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,532 CA$6,361

$3,792 MX$66.1K

19.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,120 CA$4,379

$2,110 MX$36.8K

47.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,552 CA$2,179

$1,052 MX$18.4K

47.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

11.34

-43.03%

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

Last update for Thompson: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $700 in Thompson and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thompson pays 48% 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: $71.0 in Thompson vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $293 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,825 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $700 in Thompson versus $1,014 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 224% less than in Thompson. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $742 in Thompson versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,825 in Thompson, a $2,000 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 24% less than in Thompson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.