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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$12.43 NZ$21.38

-2.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$76.5 NZ$132

-29.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.80 NZ$15.12

26.02%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.58 NZ$6.16

14.53%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$2.37 NZ$4.07

-29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$2.55 NZ$4.38

-45.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$6.35 NZ$10.92

-47.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$5.97 NZ$10.27

-1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.49 NZ$2.56

24.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.34 NZ$2.30

136.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.99 NZ$3.42

4.02%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$5.64 NZ$9.70

-48.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.03 NZ$10.36

108.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$7.78 NZ$13.38

29.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$12.65 NZ$21.75

27.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.71 NZ$4.67

25.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.29 NZ$3.94

-9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.36 NZ$5.77

-36.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$6.50 NZ$11.17

-62.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.05 NZ$3.52

3.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.43 NZ$2.47

40.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$2.06 NZ$3.55

-24.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.11 NZ$1.90

22.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$26.52 NZ$45.59

-78.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.34 NZ$19.50

56.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$4.04 NZ$6.94

-48.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$4.35 NZ$7.48

5.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.72 NZ$2.96

-78.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$42.68 NZ$73.4

-50.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$3.72 NZ$6.40

-44.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.67 NZ$2.87

-7.19%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$28.5K NZ$48.9K

-19.63%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$24.3K NZ$41.8K

12.03%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$60.7 NZ$104

11.09%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$37.57 NZ$64.6

-18.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$57.7 NZ$99.1

-35.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$26.07 NZ$44.82

135.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$29.02 NZ$49.89

-6.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$14.53 NZ$24.98

-51.07%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$693 NZ$1,191

-34.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$23.4K NZ$40.2K

-41.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$64.9 NZ$112

14.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$40.18 NZ$69.1

41.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$99.0 NZ$170

16.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$110 NZ$189

10.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$867 NZ$1,490

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$687 NZ$1,181

3.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,510 NZ$2,597

70.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,575 NZ$2,707

-17.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$4,087 NZ$7,026

-1.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$4,728 NZ$8,128

-54.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,775 NZ$4,771

-61.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.83

65.45%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $867 in Hamilton. 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $77.0 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $309, 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

Mexico City vs Hamilton: 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.

On paper, salaries run 156% lower in Hamilton. 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $867 in Hamilton. 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 $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,659 in Hamilton – 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, Mexico City and Hamilton 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.