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: $1,857 in Dunedin versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,803 in Dunedin versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,748 in Dunedin versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Dunedin is roughly 27% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 39% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.97 NZ$20.48

$13.07 MX$229

-8.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 NZ$123

$53.8 MX$940

33.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 NZ$18.91

$9.68 MX$169

14.15%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$5.92

$3.74 MX$65.4

-7.49%

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

$2.20 NZ$3.77

$1.62 MX$28.25

35.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.50

$1.16 MX$20.31

75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 NZ$12.33

$3.23 MX$56.4

123.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 NZ$10.03

$4.74 MX$82.9

23.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NZ$3.55

$1.65 MX$28.80

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.41

$2.75 MX$48.15

-27.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.22

$1.87 MX$32.77

0.53%

Eggs

$5.71 NZ$9.77

$2.50 MX$43.72

128.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.45

$10.20 MX$178

-17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 NZ$18.32

$8.25 MX$144

29.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.48

$11.82 MX$207

11.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$4.96

$3.01 MX$52.6

-3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.84

$1.81 MX$31.67

23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$2.00 MX$34.96

72.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 NZ$7.65

$2.00 MX$34.89

123.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$2.08 MX$36.45

-4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$2.27 MX$39.72

-12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 NZ$4.34

$1.46 MX$25.47

73.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.89

$1.08 MX$18.82

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.44 NZ$41.81

$4.35 MX$76.0

461.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 NZ$14.98

$16.99 MX$297

-48.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.41

$1.73 MX$30.31

49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.26

$3.58 MX$62.5

2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 NZ$2.05

$0.39 MX$6.77

207.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NZ$125

$18.69 MX$327

289.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 NZ$10.44

$1.33 MX$23.18

358.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 NZ$1.94

$0.28 MX$4.89

303.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.14 NZ$51.6

$5.25 MX$91.8

474.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$1.34 MX$23.37

23.13%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.6K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

1.32%

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

$25.2K NZ$43.2K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

5.92%

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

$102 NZ$175

$40.69 MX$712

151.36%

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

$36.07 NZ$61.7

$26.87 MX$470

34.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 NZ$93.1

$30.51 MX$534

78.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$52.8 MX$923

-1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.20 NZ$10.61

$26.65 MX$466

-76.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.56 NZ$16.36

$6.51 MX$114

46.85%

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

$584 NZ$999

$428 MX$7,485

36.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

14.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 NZ$114

$57.3 MX$1,001

16.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 NZ$61.3

$45.50 MX$796

-21.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$166

$104 MX$1,819

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$209

$108 MX$1,885

13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 NZ$1,532

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 NZ$1,327

$623 MX$10.9K

24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 NZ$2,607

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-27.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 NZ$2,237

$1,218 MX$21.3K

7.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,229 NZ$3,813

$2,033 MX$35.5K

9.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,522 NZ$4,315

$1,038 MX$18.1K

143.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

11.34

-37.65%

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

Last update for Dunedin: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $895 in Dunedin and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dunedin pays 143% 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: $72.0 in Dunedin vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 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

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

Dunedin and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,857 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 143% 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: $895 in Dunedin 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 290% less than in Dunedin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $584 in Dunedin 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 $1,857 in Dunedin, a $2,000 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 27% less than in Dunedin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.