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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $1,721 in Canterbury, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $2,700 in Canterbury, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $3,679 in Canterbury, rent included.

Mexico City is about 15% cheaper than Canterbury, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Canterbury sit above the global median – Mexico City by 9%, Canterbury by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$11.89 NZ$20.36

9.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$67.4 NZ$115

-20.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$9.06 NZ$15.52

6.84%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.39 NZ$5.81

10.32%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$2.22 NZ$3.81

-27.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$2.09 NZ$3.58

-44.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$4.18 NZ$7.16

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$5.94 NZ$10.17

-20.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.18 NZ$2.02

39.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.92 NZ$3.28

43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.84 NZ$3.14

1.63%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$5.72 NZ$9.79

-56.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.68 NZ$11.43

52.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$10.54 NZ$18.05

-21.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$8.81 NZ$15.09

34.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$2.24 NZ$3.83

34.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$2.27 NZ$3.88

-20.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$3.40 NZ$5.82

-41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$4.60 NZ$7.87

-56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.23 NZ$2.10

69.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$2.05 NZ$3.52

10.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.78 NZ$3.04

-17.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.07 NZ$1.83

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$23.81 NZ$40.77

-81.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$8.86 NZ$15.17

91.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$2.56 NZ$4.38

-32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$3.56 NZ$6.10

0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.92 NZ$1.57

-57.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

$63.4 NZ$109

-70.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$2.78 NZ$4.76

-52.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.14 NZ$1.95

-75.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$29.74 NZ$50.9

-82.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.73 NZ$2.95

-22.54%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$20.2K NZ$34.6K

-4.05%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$25.1K NZ$43.0K

-5.19%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$103 NZ$177

-60.54%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$36.20 NZ$62.0

-25.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$55.5 NZ$95.1

-45.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$36.64 NZ$62.7

44.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$12.25 NZ$20.98

117.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$9.90 NZ$16.95

-34.24%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$585 NZ$1,002

-26.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

-12.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$52.2 NZ$89.3

9.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$29.35 NZ$50.3

55.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$95.2 NZ$163

9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$121 NZ$207

-10.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$949 NZ$1,625

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$785 NZ$1,344

-20.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$1,542 NZ$2,641

36.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$1,454 NZ$2,490

-16.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$4,169 NZ$7,139

-6.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$3,094 NZ$5,297

-34.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

$2,770 NZ$4,743

-62.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

7.07

60.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Canterbury: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $949 in Canterbury. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 167% higher in Canterbury, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City versus $67.0 in Canterbury. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Mexico City vs $287 in Canterbury – so Canterbury wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City, $1,721 in Canterbury – roughly 18% apart. Canterbury costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $2,582 in Canterbury. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Canterbury – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Mexico City and $67.0 in Canterbury. 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 Canterbury at $1,721. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canterbury 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 $1,721 in Canterbury. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canterbury makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.