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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,990 in Yellowknife versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,276 in Yellowknife versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,563 in Yellowknife versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 105% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yellowknife 124% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 CA$23.12

$13.07 MX$229

26.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 CA$126

$53.8 MX$940

66.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 CA$10.57

$9.68 MX$169

-22.11%

Cappuccino

$3.86 CA$5.41

$3.74 MX$65.4

3.21%

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

$2.64 CA$3.71

$1.62 MX$28.25

62.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$1.16 MX$20.31

90.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 CA$8.43

$3.23 MX$56.4

86.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 CA$10.45

$4.74 MX$82.9

57.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 CA$3.48

$1.65 MX$28.80

50.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.75 MX$48.15

0.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.82 CA$6.76

$1.87 MX$32.77

157.75%

Eggs

$3.28 CA$4.59

$2.50 MX$43.72

31.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 CA$10.24

$10.20 MX$178

-28.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.81 CA$23.57

$8.25 MX$144

103.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 CA$23.13

$11.82 MX$207

39.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 CA$6.74

$3.01 MX$52.6

59.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.81 MX$31.67

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 CA$7.76

$2.00 MX$34.96

177.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.67 CA$10.76

$2.00 MX$34.89

283.50%

Potato (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.67

$2.08 MX$36.45

128.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.15

$2.27 MX$39.72

61.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.45 CA$4.84

$1.46 MX$25.47

136.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.08 MX$18.82

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 CA$24.38

$4.35 MX$76.0

299.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.62

$16.99 MX$297

-17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 CA$6.03

$1.73 MX$30.31

148.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 CA$9.41

$3.58 MX$62.5

87.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$0.39 MX$6.77

453.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 CA$76.5

$18.69 MX$327

191.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$1.33 MX$23.18

145.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$0.28 MX$4.89

378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.10 CA$36.59

$5.25 MX$91.8

397.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.34 MX$23.37

-8.96%

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

$24.5K CA$34.4K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

26.40%

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

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-15.49%

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

$390 CA$547

$40.69 MX$712

859.50%

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

$60.5 CA$84.8

$26.87 MX$470

125.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$111 CA$156

$30.51 MX$534

265.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CA$105

$52.8 MX$923

41.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.34

$6.51 MX$114

57.14%

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

$609 CA$854

$428 MX$7,485

42.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.8K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

14.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 CA$91.7

$57.3 MX$1,001

14.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 CA$51.4

$45.50 MX$796

-19.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 CA$150

$104 MX$1,819

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$167

$108 MX$1,885

10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CA$2,095

$1,003 MX$17.5K

48.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 CA$2,019

$623 MX$10.9K

131.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,449 CA$3,434

$2,109 MX$36.9K

16.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,192 CA$3,073

$1,218 MX$21.3K

79.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,003 CA$4,210

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-22.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,799 CA$3,924

$2,033 MX$35.5K

37.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,937 CA$5,519

$1,038 MX$18.1K

279.35%

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 Yellowknife: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,494 in Yellowknife and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 279% 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: $90.0 in Yellowknife vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $292 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

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

Yellowknife and Mexico City differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($2,990 vs $1,456 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 279% higher in Yellowknife, 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: $1,494 in Yellowknife versus $1,003 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 192% less than in Yellowknife. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $609 in Yellowknife versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,990 in Yellowknife, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Yellowknife. 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 105% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.