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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,930 in Dunedin versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Dunedin versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Dunedin versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Dunedin is roughly 17% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 40% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 NZ$25.66

$12.11 MX$206

24.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 NZ$109

$52.2 MX$887

22.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 NZ$20.34

$10.90 MX$185

9.17%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.79

$4.05 MX$68.8

-16.30%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.78

$1.72 MX$29.13

28.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NZ$3.68

$1.38 MX$23.40

55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.37

$3.47 MX$58.9

108.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.34

$5.81 MX$98.7

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NZ$3.80

$1.85 MX$31.48

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.44

$3.22 MX$54.7

-37.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.05

$2.09 MX$35.42

-14.83%

Eggs

$5.96 NZ$10.18

$2.91 MX$49.41

104.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 NZ$15.38

$12.49 MX$212

-27.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.70

$10.11 MX$172

-3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 NZ$29.78

$15.89 MX$270

9.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.23

$3.31 MX$56.3

-7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.07

$2.13 MX$36.12

11.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NZ$5.84

$2.19 MX$37.20

56.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 NZ$9.09

$2.45 MX$41.57

117.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.41

$2.19 MX$37.18

-8.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.30

$1.90 MX$32.35

1.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 NZ$4.29

$1.62 MX$27.44

54.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NZ$1.01

$1.35 MX$22.92

-56.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.07 NZ$37.71

$5.43 MX$92.1

306.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.64 NZ$16.47

$17.59 MX$299

-45.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.63

$2.07 MX$35.12

59.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 NZ$2.14

$4.75 MX$80.6

-73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 NZ$2.07

$0.34 MX$5.77

255.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 NZ$121

$21.58 MX$366

227.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 NZ$10.15

$2.04 MX$34.65

191.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 NZ$50.3

$5.97 MX$101

392.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.03

$1.62 MX$27.44

9.26%

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

$26.2K NZ$44.7K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

14.68%

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

$26.3K NZ$44.9K

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-1.52%

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

$116 NZ$198

$65.2 MX$1,108

77.42%

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

$29.62 NZ$50.6

$29.87 MX$507

-0.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 NZ$91.8

$36.55 MX$621

47.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 NZ$86.7

$61.0 MX$1,036

-16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 NZ$18.21

$6.85 MX$116

55.62%

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

$616 NZ$1,052

$453 MX$7,700

35.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$227.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 NZ$106

$75.0 MX$1,273

-17.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.56 NZ$64.2

$55.3 MX$939

-32.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 NZ$163

$114 MX$1,929

-15.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NZ$245

$123 MX$2,083

16.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 NZ$1,554

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 NZ$1,374

$712 MX$12.1K

12.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 NZ$2,698

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-38.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 NZ$2,082

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-7.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 NZ$3,952

$2,095 MX$35.6K

10.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,574 NZ$4,397

$1,047 MX$17.8K

145.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

11.3

-37.43%

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

Last update for Dunedin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Dunedin and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 146% 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: $64.0 in Dunedin vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $345, with Dunedin cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Dunedin and Mexico City differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,930 vs $1,646 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% higher in Dunedin, 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: $910 in Dunedin versus $1,134 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 227% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Dunedin versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,930 in Dunedin, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Dunedin. 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.

Safety-wise, Dunedin and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.