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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,659 in Hamilton versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,757 in Hamilton versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,856 in Hamilton versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 1% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 20% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.43 NZ$21.38

$12.14 MX$206

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 NZ$132

$53.9 MX$914

41.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.12

$11.09 MX$188

-20.65%

Cappuccino

$3.58 NZ$6.16

$4.10 MX$69.5

-12.68%

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

$2.37 NZ$4.07

$1.68 MX$28.53

41.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NZ$4.38

$1.39 MX$23.55

83.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 NZ$10.92

$3.33 MX$56.5

90.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 NZ$10.27

$5.88 MX$99.7

1.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 NZ$2.56

$1.85 MX$31.41

-19.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 NZ$2.30

$3.17 MX$53.8

-57.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.42

$2.07 MX$35.13

-3.86%

Eggs

$5.64 NZ$9.70

$2.93 MX$49.67

92.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.03 NZ$10.36

$12.59 MX$214

-52.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 NZ$13.38

$10.11 MX$172

-23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.65 NZ$21.75

$16.09 MX$273

-21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.67

$3.39 MX$57.5

-20.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$3.94

$2.08 MX$35.26

10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NZ$5.77

$2.12 MX$35.97

58.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 NZ$11.17

$2.41 MX$40.95

169.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.52

$2.13 MX$36.11

-3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 NZ$2.47

$2.01 MX$34.02

-28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NZ$3.55

$1.55 MX$26.21

32.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.90

$1.36 MX$23.15

-18.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.52 NZ$45.59

$5.77 MX$97.8

359.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 NZ$19.50

$17.74 MX$301

-36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 NZ$6.94

$2.07 MX$35.11

95.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NZ$7.48

$4.61 MX$78.3

-5.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 NZ$2.96

$0.37 MX$6.21

364.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.68 NZ$73.4

$21.18 MX$359

101.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 NZ$6.40

$2.05 MX$34.84

81.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.87

$1.55 MX$26.34

7.74%

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

$28.5K NZ$48.9K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

24.42%

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

$24.3K NZ$41.8K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-10.74%

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

$60.7 NZ$104

$67.4 MX$1,144

-9.98%

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

$37.57 NZ$64.6

$30.62 MX$520

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 NZ$99.1

$37.24 MX$632

54.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.07 NZ$44.82

$61.5 MX$1,043

-57.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.02 NZ$49.89

$27.12 MX$460

7.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.53 NZ$24.98

$7.11 MX$121

104.36%

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

$693 NZ$1,191

$456 MX$7,739

51.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K NZ$40.2K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

70.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 NZ$112

$74.2 MX$1,259

-12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 NZ$69.1

$57.0 MX$967

-29.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 NZ$170

$115 MX$1,958

-14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NZ$189

$122 MX$2,061

-9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 NZ$1,490

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 NZ$1,181

$709 MX$12.0K

-3.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NZ$2,597

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 NZ$2,707

$1,295 MX$22.0K

21.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,087 NZ$7,026

$4,005 MX$67.9K

2.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,728 NZ$8,128

$2,130 MX$36.1K

122.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,775 NZ$4,771

$1,082 MX$18.4K

156.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

11.3

-39.56%

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

Last update for Hamilton: September 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $867 in Hamilton and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 156% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Hamilton vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $345, with Hamilton 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

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

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 156% higher in Hamilton, 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: $867 in Hamilton versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,659 per month in Hamilton versus $1,677 in Mexico City – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,659 in Hamilton versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamilton 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 Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.