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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,831 in Vancouver versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,231 in Vancouver versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,630 in Vancouver versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 93% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 111% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.37

$13.18 MX$228

38.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$108

$53.9 MX$934

44.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.08

$9.42 MX$163

15.18%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.53

$3.55 MX$61.5

12.11%

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

$2.12 CA$2.94

$1.62 MX$28.03

30.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.47

$1.11 MX$19.31

60.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$8.02

$3.12 MX$54.1

84.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CA$10.50

$4.63 MX$80.2

63.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.23

$1.70 MX$29.48

36.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.30

$2.72 MX$47.10

13.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.40

$1.91 MX$33.13

103.66%

Eggs

$4.53 CA$6.29

$2.54 MX$43.94

78.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 CA$17.95

$10.03 MX$174

28.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 CA$19.65

$8.09 MX$140

74.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 CA$21.87

$11.62 MX$201

35.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.91

$2.97 MX$51.4

43.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.81 MX$31.30

-18.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.59

$2.01 MX$34.88

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 CA$7.03

$2.03 MX$35.26

149.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.20

$2.12 MX$36.82

42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.27 MX$39.32

29.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.61

$1.40 MX$24.26

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.61

$1.13 MX$19.59

66.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 CA$21.12

$4.27 MX$74.0

255.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.86

$15.56 MX$270

-8.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.27

$1.76 MX$30.44

74.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$3.60 MX$62.3

3.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.39

$0.38 MX$6.64

542.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 CA$118

$19.18 MX$332

342.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 CA$5.19

$1.38 MX$23.84

171.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.09

$0.28 MX$4.79

435.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.43 CA$38.11

$5.45 MX$94.4

403.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$1.30 MX$22.60

3.08%

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

$25.1K CA$34.9K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

34.38%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-10.37%

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

$91.8 CA$128

$40.86 MX$708

124.60%

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

$39.42 CA$54.8

$26.81 MX$465

47.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$84.9

$29.96 MX$519

103.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 CA$62.4

$52.0 MX$901

-13.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 CA$21.79

$26.84 MX$465

-41.58%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 CA$17.18

$6.30 MX$109

96.35%

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

$1,180 CA$1,640

$436 MX$7,558

170.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K CA$26.1K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

80.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$56.7 MX$982

10.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 CA$59.9

$44.38 MX$769

-2.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 CA$132

$103 MX$1,784

-7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$106 MX$1,829

12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 CA$2,771

$1,022 MX$17.7K

95.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,264

$631 MX$10.9K

158.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,589 CA$4,986

$2,136 MX$37.0K

68.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 CA$3,848

$1,243 MX$21.5K

122.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,246 CA$12.8K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

136.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,086 CA$9,845

$2,064 MX$35.8K

243.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,474 CA$4,827

$1,115 MX$19.3K

211.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

11.34

-50.53%

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

Last update for Vancouver: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,995 in Vancouver and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 212% 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: $78.0 in Vancouver vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $288 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

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

Vancouver and Mexico City differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,831 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Vancouver pays 212% 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: $1,995 in Vancouver versus $1,022 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 342% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,180 in Vancouver versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,831 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. 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 93% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.