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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,836 per month in Ashburton vs $1,467 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,917 per month in Ashburton vs $2,371 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,997 per month in Ashburton vs $3,274 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ashburton costs about 25% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ashburton and Mexico City sit above the global median – Ashburton by 37%, Mexico City by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 NZ$28.83

$13.18 MX$228

29.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 NZ$124

$53.9 MX$932

36.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 NZ$16.68

$9.42 MX$163

4.88%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$5.84

$3.55 MX$61.4

-2.54%

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

$2.31 NZ$3.90

$1.62 MX$27.98

42.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 NZ$3.32

$1.11 MX$19.27

77.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NZ$11.93

$3.12 MX$54.0

126.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 NZ$11.96

$4.63 MX$80.1

53.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.10

$1.70 MX$29.43

8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.28

$2.72 MX$47.02

-28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.82

$1.91 MX$33.07

-12.57%

Eggs

$6.31 NZ$10.66

$2.54 MX$43.86

148.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 NZ$13.88

$10.03 MX$174

-18.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.04

$8.09 MX$140

17.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 NZ$22.14

$11.62 MX$201

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.08

$2.97 MX$51.3

1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.60

$1.81 MX$31.24

17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.05

$2.01 MX$34.82

48.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 NZ$5.76

$2.03 MX$35.20

67.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.56

$2.12 MX$36.75

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$2.27 MX$39.25

-2.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NZ$4.90

$1.40 MX$24.22

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.36

$1.13 MX$19.55

23.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.06 NZ$40.63

$4.27 MX$73.9

463.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 NZ$14.68

$15.56 MX$269

-44.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.19

$1.76 MX$30.39

107.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 NZ$8.39

$3.60 MX$62.2

38.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 NZ$3.62

$0.38 MX$6.62

465.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 NZ$109

$19.18 MX$332

236.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 NZ$4.54

$1.38 MX$23.79

94.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NZ$2.77

$0.28 MX$4.78

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.40 NZ$51.3

$5.45 MX$94.2

457.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.89

$1.30 MX$22.55

31.54%

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

$27.4K NZ$46.3K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

46.63%

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

$20.0K NZ$33.8K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-13.42%

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

$117 NZ$197

$40.86 MX$707

185.76%

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

$32.17 NZ$54.3

$26.81 MX$464

19.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NZ$91.3

$29.96 MX$518

80.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.68 NZ$61.9

$52.0 MX$900

-29.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 NZ$20.31

$26.84 MX$464

-55.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 NZ$18.91

$6.30 MX$109

77.78%

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

$645 NZ$1,089

$436 MX$7,544

47.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,322 NZ$15.7K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-10.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.53 NZ$51.6

$56.7 MX$980

-46.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.82 NZ$72.3

$44.38 MX$768

-3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 NZ$158

$103 MX$1,780

-9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NZ$257

$106 MX$1,825

44.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 NZ$1,658

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NZ$1,306

$631 MX$10.9K

22.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 NZ$2,666

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 NZ$2,363

$1,243 MX$21.5K

12.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,791 NZ$8,088

$3,903 MX$67.5K

22.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,958 NZ$6,682

$2,064 MX$35.7K

91.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

11.34

-40.56%

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

Last update for Ashburton: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $982 in Ashburton versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ashburton versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $288 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,836 in Ashburton, $1,467 in Mexico City – roughly 25% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,754 per month in Ashburton and $2,201 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 12% more in Ashburton, 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 $74.0 in Ashburton and $54.0 in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,467, than in Ashburton at $1,836. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,467 in Mexico City to $1,836 in Ashburton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.