Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Avarua and Mexico City

For one person, living costs are similar in Avarua and in Mexico City: $1,638 and $1,608 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Avarua 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 Avarua and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Avarua vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Avarua $1,638
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,652 per month in Avarua vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Avarua $1,652
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,666 per month in Avarua vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Avarua $1,666
Mexico City $3,490

Avarua costs about 2% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Avarua and Mexico City sit above the global median – Avarua by 20%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 NZ$20.19

$10.62 MX$199

8.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 NZ$101

$48.35 MX$904

19.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$14.91

$10.35 MX$193

-18.16%

Cappuccino

$3.16 NZ$5.57

$3.69 MX$69.0

-14.36%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.95

$1.67 MX$31.14

34.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NZ$4.05

$1.27 MX$23.65

81.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 NZ$9.88

$3.19 MX$59.7

75.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 NZ$7.39

$5.31 MX$99.2

-20.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.92

$1.72 MX$32.23

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 NZ$5.86

$3.04 MX$56.8

9.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$1.94 MX$36.27

-13.40%

Eggs

$4.76 NZ$8.38

$2.89 MX$54.0

64.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 NZ$20.38

$10.97 MX$205

5.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 NZ$13.87

$9.25 MX$173

-14.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 NZ$18.29

$15.13 MX$283

-31.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$4.95

$3.05 MX$57.0

-7.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$1.94 MX$36.27

-13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 NZ$6.16

$2.03 MX$37.85

72.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.14 NZ$16.08

$2.31 MX$43.25

295.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NZ$4.96

$2.04 MX$38.03

38.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.88

$1.80 MX$33.63

22.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 NZ$3.93

$1.48 MX$27.64

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.12

$1.27 MX$23.69

129.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 NZ$25.06

$16.10 MX$301

-11.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NZ$7.35

$4.25 MX$79.5

-1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$4.96

$0.31 MX$5.70

809.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NZ$3.85

$1.51 MX$28.23

45.03%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

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

$112 NZ$197

$63.0 MX$1,177

77.63%

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

$27.39 MX$512

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,065

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 NZ$1,703

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 NZ$1,666

$710 MX$13.3K

33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 NZ$202

$2,588 MX$48.4K

-95.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$944 NZ$1,662

$2,135 MX$39.9K

-55.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Avarua: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Avarua

–

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Groceries & Markets

Avarua

–

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Eating Out

Avarua

–

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Avarua

–

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Avarua

–

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Avarua

–

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Getting Around

Avarua

–

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $968 in Avarua versus $1,113 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 $58 in Avarua versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Avarua

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

05:48 5:48 AM

4 h ahead of Avarua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Avarua Mexico City 7,990 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Avarua
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

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

Avarua costs about 2% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Avarua and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Avarua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $968 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,638 in Avarua and $1,608 in Mexico City. That’s a gap of about 2%.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Avarua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,638 in Avarua and $1,608 in Mexico City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $1,638 in Avarua. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.