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 $1,876 per month in Ashburton vs $1,456 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,921 per month in Ashburton vs $2,361 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,965 per month in Ashburton vs $3,266 in Mexico City, rent included.

Ashburton costs about 29% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Ashburton and Mexico City sit above the global median – Ashburton by 40%, Mexico City by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.77 NZ$28.72

$13.07 MX$229

28.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 NZ$126

$53.8 MX$943

37.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 NZ$16.89

$9.68 MX$170

1.86%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.95

$3.74 MX$65.6

-7.22%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.02

$1.62 MX$28.34

45.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NZ$3.38

$1.16 MX$20.37

70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.16

$3.23 MX$56.6

119.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 NZ$12.70

$4.74 MX$83.1

56.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.25

$1.65 MX$28.89

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$2.75 MX$48.30

-30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.87 MX$32.87

-7.49%

Eggs

$6.49 NZ$11.11

$2.50 MX$43.86

159.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 NZ$14.06

$10.20 MX$179

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 NZ$15.62

$8.25 MX$145

10.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 NZ$21.77

$11.82 MX$207

7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.44

$3.01 MX$52.8

5.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.61

$1.81 MX$31.77

16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.18

$2.00 MX$35.07

51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 NZ$5.53

$2.00 MX$35.00

61.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$2.08 MX$36.56

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$2.27 MX$39.85

-0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 NZ$5.22

$1.46 MX$25.55

108.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NZ$2.40

$1.08 MX$18.88

29.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.39 NZ$41.77

$4.35 MX$76.3

460.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 NZ$14.56

$16.99 MX$298

-49.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 NZ$6.44

$1.73 MX$30.40

117.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 NZ$8.19

$3.58 MX$62.7

33.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 NZ$3.51

$0.39 MX$6.79

425.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 NZ$112

$18.69 MX$328

249.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NZ$4.78

$1.33 MX$23.25

109.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NZ$2.90

$0.28 MX$4.91

507.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.00 NZ$51.4

$5.25 MX$92.1

471.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$2.94

$1.34 MX$23.44

28.36%

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

$27.6K NZ$47.2K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

41.96%

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

$20.0K NZ$34.3K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-15.99%

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

$117 NZ$201

$40.69 MX$714

188.30%

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

$31.27 NZ$53.5

$26.87 MX$471

16.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 NZ$92.7

$30.51 MX$535

77.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.42 NZ$62.4

$52.8 MX$926

-31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 NZ$20.91

$26.65 MX$467

-54.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 NZ$18.67

$6.51 MX$114

67.43%

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

$639 NZ$1,094

$428 MX$7,508

49.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,344 NZ$16.0K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-11.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.19 NZ$51.7

$57.3 MX$1,004

-47.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.44 NZ$72.7

$45.50 MX$798

-6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 NZ$158

$104 MX$1,825

-11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$259

$108 MX$1,891

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 NZ$1,670

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,331

$623 MX$10.9K

24.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 NZ$2,734

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 NZ$2,417

$1,218 MX$21.4K

15.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,139 NZ$7,088

$3,885 MX$68.1K

6.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,773 NZ$6,461

$2,033 MX$35.7K

85.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $976 in Ashburton versus $1,003 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: $321 vs $292 – 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: $1,876 in Ashburton, $1,456 in Mexico City – roughly 29% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,814 per month in Ashburton and $2,185 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 10% 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 $1,456, than in Ashburton at $1,876. 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 $1,456 in Mexico City to $1,876 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.