Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Vancouver $2,626
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Vancouver $3,841
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Vancouver $5,056
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Vancouver is roughly 68% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$10.75 MX$199

59.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$50.3 MX$929

37.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$11.10 MX$205

-4.41%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$3.68 MX$68.1

4.08%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$1.65 MX$30.42

23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.30 MX$24.08

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$3.32 MX$61.3

66.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$5.54 MX$102

11.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.77 MX$32.68

20.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$3.05 MX$56.4

-17.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$2.01 MX$37.20

123.38%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$2.77 MX$51.1

47.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$11.91 MX$220

-1.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$9.33 MX$172

40.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$15.02 MX$278

29.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$3.08 MX$56.8

29.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.95 MX$35.97

-29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$2.03 MX$37.54

91.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$2.21 MX$40.92

78.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.02 MX$37.41

34.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$1.82 MX$33.67

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.52 MX$28.07

61.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.28 MX$23.65

21.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$5.27 MX$97.4

193.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$16.12 MX$298

-14.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.95 MX$36.05

34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$4.25 MX$78.6

-32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$0.31 MX$5.82

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$19.85 MX$367

318.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.00 MX$36.93

36.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$0.53 MX$9.86

198.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$5.62 MX$104

452.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.52 MX$28.07

-9.87%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

31.49%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-22.00%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$62.5 MX$1,155

31.99%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$28.77 MX$532

29.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$34.45 MX$637

50.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$57.1 MX$1,055

-24.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$24.81 MX$458

-50.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$6.67 MX$123

81.86%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$431 MX$7,964

155.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

68.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$70.8 MX$1,308

-20.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$51.8 MX$958

-35.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$109 MX$2,011

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$112 MX$2,076

-16.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,051 MX$19.4K

68.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$665 MX$12.3K

125.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,346 MX$43.3K

31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$1,227 MX$22.7K

97.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

127.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$1,977 MX$36.5K

226.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$975 MX$18.0K

287.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

11.3

-62.12%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 55.6% $832

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 17.8% $70

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Mexico City

$203 13% 24.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Mexico City

$126 8% 26.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 23.9% $30

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 75.1% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 4.9% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 287% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Mexico City 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Mexico City

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

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

Vancouver and Mexico City differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 287% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,051 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 318% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,102 in Vancouver versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,626 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 68% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.