Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hamilton, New Zealand

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,917 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Hamilton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,917 in Hamilton.

Mexico City $1,608
Hamilton $1,917

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $2,828 in Hamilton.

Mexico City $2,549
Hamilton $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $3,739 in Hamilton.

Mexico City $3,490
Hamilton $3,739

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 16% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 18% above, Hamilton 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$12.20 NZ$21.47

-12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$74.6 NZ$131

-35.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$8.34 NZ$14.68

24.10%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$3.49 NZ$6.15

5.73%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$2.31 NZ$4.07

-27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$2.50 NZ$4.40

-49.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

$6.08 NZ$10.70

-47.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

$5.61 NZ$9.87

-5.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$1.46 NZ$2.57

17.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$1.25 NZ$2.20

143.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.94 NZ$3.41

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$5.52 NZ$9.71

-47.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$5.78 NZ$10.17

89.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$7.18 NZ$12.64

28.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$11.70 NZ$20.60

29.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$2.71 NZ$4.76

12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$2.31 NZ$4.06

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

$3.24 NZ$5.71

-37.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$6.21 NZ$10.93

-62.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

$2.05 NZ$3.61

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$1.41 NZ$2.49

27.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

$2.49 NZ$4.38

-40.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$0.98 NZ$1.73

29.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$26.19 NZ$46.10

-79.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

$10.72 NZ$18.87

50.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

$4.02 NZ$7.08

-50.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

$4.14 NZ$7.29

2.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

$2.66 NZ$4.68

-88.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

$52.7 NZ$92.7

-62.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

$3.70 NZ$6.51

-50.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

$1.67 NZ$2.93

-9.58%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

$28.2K NZ$49.7K

-22.90%

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

$22.4K NZ$39.3K

7.31%

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

$58.3 NZ$103

8.10%

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

$27.39 MX$512

$36.48 NZ$64.2

-24.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

$55.5 NZ$97.6

-35.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

$25.73 NZ$45.29

129.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

$28.98 NZ$51.0

-18.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$13.93 NZ$24.52

-54.06%

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

$432 MX$8,065

$670 NZ$1,180

-35.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

$22.5K NZ$39.5K

-49.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

$63.7 NZ$112

7.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

$38.93 NZ$68.5

36.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

$94.7 NZ$167

13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

$107 NZ$188

10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$1,090 NZ$1,918

2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$987 NZ$1,737

-28.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

$1,636 NZ$2,879

58.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$1,476 NZ$2,598

-4.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

$4,019 NZ$7,074

-9.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

$4,525 NZ$7,964

-52.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$2,678 NZ$4,713

-64.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.83

66.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Hamilton

$987 51.5% 38.9% $277

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Hamilton

$297 15.5% 7% $22

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Hamilton

$225 11.8% 13.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Hamilton

$137 7.1% 12.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Hamilton

$150 7.8% 19.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Hamilton

$54 2.8% 25.3% $18

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Hamilton

$67 * 3.5% 163% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,090 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $75 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $297, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

19 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

169,500

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Hamilton 10,940 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Hamilton

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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and eating out. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,090 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $75 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,917 in Hamilton – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Hamilton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.