Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Mexicali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $949 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toronto and in Mexicali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Toronto and in Mexicali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Toronto vs $949 in Mexicali, rent included.

Toronto $2,530
Mexicali $949

A couple spends around $3,646 per month in Toronto vs $1,525 in Mexicali, rent included.

Toronto $3,646
Mexicali $1,525

A family of three spends $4,761 per month in Toronto vs $2,101 in Mexicali, rent included.

Toronto $4,761
Mexicali $2,101

Toronto costs about 167% more than Mexicali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Toronto sits 89% above the global median, while Mexicali is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.19

$12.10 MX$222

46.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$34.24 MX$629

125.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$6.69 MX$123

56.50%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.81

$3.43 MX$62.9

18.95%

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

$2.12 CA$3.02

$1.34 MX$24.60

58.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.51

$1.12 MX$20.65

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.80

$3.23 MX$59.2

91.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.82

$4.26 MX$78.2

61.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.20 MX$22.10

102.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.92

$2.39 MX$43.96

15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$1.54 MX$28.33

44.81%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.91

$2.76 MX$50.7

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.73

$2.42 MX$44.48

269.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.31

$6.00 MX$110

90.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.83

$6.66 MX$122

119.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.34

$1.63 MX$29.85

130.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.64

$1.40 MX$25.74

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$1.40 MX$25.78

153.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.10

$1.63 MX$29.98

162.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.63

$1.41 MX$25.91

31.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.38

$1.42 MX$26.03

17.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.35 MX$24.70

64.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$0.85 MX$15.66

42.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.78

$4.01 MX$73.7

246.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.31

$8.06 MX$148

76.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$1.94 MX$35.61

13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$3.90 MX$71.6

-37.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$1.05 MX$19.20

130.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$35.15 MX$645

215.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$2.84 MX$52.1

2.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$2.26 MX$41.57

-44.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.40

$19.06 MX$350

15.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.34 MX$24.60

-8.96%

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

$27.6K CA$39.4K

$21.7K MX$399.3K

27.04%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$24.4K MX$447.3K

-18.64%

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

$122 CA$174

$47.14 MX$866

158.55%

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

$32.03 CA$45.66

$22.65 MX$416

41.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.3

$30.19 MX$554

58.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.5

$39.21 MX$720

-0.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.12

$16.63 MX$305

39.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.97

$4.08 MX$75.0

209.07%

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

$834 CA$1,189

$210 MX$3,860

296.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.3K

$4,724 MX$86.7K

394.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$75.0

$34.95 MX$642

50.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.4

$32.98 MX$605

22.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$77.4 MX$1,420

24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$38.03 MX$698

223.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,278

$998 MX$18.3K

60.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,045

$276 MX$5,059

420.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,787

$1,357 MX$24.9K

95.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,988

$556 MX$10.2K

276.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.5K

$2,638 MX$48.4K

204.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,347

$1,474 MX$27.1K

344.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,335

$860 MX$15.8K

335.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

12.07

-62.97%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Mexicali

$276 29.1% 80.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Mexicali

$197 20.8% 42.1% $143

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Mexicali

$192 20.3% 31.7% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Mexicali

$100 10.5% 50.5% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Mexicali

$83 8.7% 41.2% $58

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Mexicali

$53 5.6% 58.7% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Mexicali

$47 5% 26.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Toronto versus $998 in Mexicali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 335% higher in Toronto, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto versus $34.00 in Mexicali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $197 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

3 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

854,186

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Mexicali 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
Mexicali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Toronto vs Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,530 in Toronto, $949 in Mexicali – roughly 167% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Toronto and $1,423 in Mexicali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexicali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Toronto and $34.00 in Mexicali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Toronto at $2,530. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexicali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexicali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.