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: $1,847 in Thompson versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,781 in Thompson versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,716 in Thompson versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thompson 37% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 CA$22.76

$13.29 MX$230

24.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$97.7

$53.8 MX$931

32.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.42

$9.29 MX$161

21.10%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.32

$3.61 MX$62.5

7.48%

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

$1.98 CA$2.71

$1.56 MX$26.97

26.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.34

$1.12 MX$19.42

52.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.60

$3.13 MX$54.1

77.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.28

$4.71 MX$81.5

28.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.89

$1.70 MX$29.48

24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$2.77 MX$47.92

-3.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.85

$1.96 MX$33.97

80.61%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.61

$2.60 MX$45.11

29.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.52

$9.94 MX$172

13.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 CA$16.38

$8.10 MX$140

47.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$19.84

$11.50 MX$199

25.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.48

$2.87 MX$49.72

39.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.93

$1.73 MX$30.00

-18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.90

$2.00 MX$34.65

79.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.12

$2.04 MX$35.30

82.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$2.08 MX$36.06

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.51

$2.20 MX$38.03

16.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.56

$1.45 MX$25.18

79.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.45

$1.07 MX$18.59

67.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.86 CA$18.98

$4.27 MX$74.0

224.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$17.92

$14.32 MX$248

-8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$3.98

$1.76 MX$30.55

64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.25

$3.70 MX$64.1

-16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.34

$0.35 MX$6.11

597.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 CA$86.2

$19.19 MX$332

227.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.31

$1.34 MX$23.13

135.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$0.28 MX$4.82

428.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.65 CA$35.13

$5.33 MX$92.4

381.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.61

$1.34 MX$23.22

-11.94%

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

$24.8K CA$34.0K

$19.1K MX$331.2K

29.93%

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

$20.5K CA$28.0K

$23.9K MX$413.6K

-14.31%

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

$143 CA$196

$39.86 MX$690

259.58%

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

$43.17 CA$59.1

$26.78 MX$464

61.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 CA$86.8

$29.36 MX$509

115.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 CA$56.6

$53.4 MX$925

-22.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$452

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 CA$15.39

$6.40 MX$111

75.63%

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

$749 CA$1,026

$440 MX$7,629

70.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$10.8K MX$186.2K

9.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$75.4

$57.6 MX$998

-4.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 CA$53.5

$45.02 MX$780

-13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 CA$117

$104 MX$1,797

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$144

$108 MX$1,870

-2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 CA$952

$1,013 MX$17.5K

-31.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 CA$971

$630 MX$10.9K

12.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 CA$1,589

$2,162 MX$37.4K

-46.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 CA$1,563

$1,222 MX$21.2K

-6.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 CA$6,103

$3,793 MX$65.7K

17.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,442 CA$4,715

$2,332 MX$40.4K

47.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,591 CA$2,180

$1,075 MX$18.6K

48.04%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $695 in Thompson and $1,013 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 in Thompson vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 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

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

Thompson and Mexico City differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,847 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Thompson pays 48% 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: $695 in Thompson 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 228% less than in Thompson. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $749 in Thompson 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 $1,847 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.