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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,682 per month in Mexico City vs $1,812 in Hastings, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,599 per month in Mexico City vs $2,677 in Hastings, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,516 per month in Mexico City vs $3,541 in Hastings, rent included.

Mexico City is about 7% cheaper than Hastings, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Hastings sit above the global median – Mexico City by 23%, Hastings by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$11.95 NZ$20.08

-1.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$58.3 NZ$97.9

-10.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$9.61 NZ$16.14

13.11%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$3.39 NZ$5.70

18.88%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$1.90 NZ$3.18

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$1.45 NZ$2.43

-7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$4.58 NZ$7.69

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$6.02 NZ$10.11

-4.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.87 NZ$3.14

1.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.31 NZ$3.88

37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$1.82 NZ$3.05

12.64%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$5.72 NZ$9.61

-47.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$7.85 NZ$13.18

60.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$10.06 NZ$16.89

-1.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$12.42 NZ$20.86

28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$2.70 NZ$4.54

21.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$2.04 NZ$3.43

0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$3.10 NZ$5.21

-32.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$3.47 NZ$5.83

-27.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$1.84 NZ$3.08

11.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$1.10 NZ$1.85

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$1.52 NZ$2.56

3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$1.00 NZ$1.68

39.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$18.66 NZ$31.34

-71.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$9.72 NZ$16.32

84.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$3.31 NZ$5.55

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$3.03 NZ$5.09

57.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$2.86 NZ$4.81

-87.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$86.6 NZ$145

-75.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$1.89 NZ$3.18

8.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$1.90 NZ$3.20

-70.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$35.32 NZ$59.3

-83.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.59 NZ$2.66

-3.14%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$26.1K NZ$43.9K

-14.11%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$23.4K NZ$39.3K

13.00%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$202 NZ$339

-67.27%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$32.70 NZ$54.9

-5.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$55.1 NZ$92.5

-34.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$29.07 NZ$48.82

97.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$10.55 NZ$17.72

-32.42%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$1,131 NZ$1,900

-59.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$13.5K NZ$22.6K

-1.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$49.19 NZ$82.6

54.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$29.30 NZ$49.21

84.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$105 NZ$176

10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$94.5 NZ$159

28.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$857 NZ$1,440

33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$744 NZ$1,250

-2.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$1,642 NZ$2,757

52.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$1,190 NZ$1,998

11.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$5,099 NZ$8,563

-23.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$3,021 NZ$5,073

-28.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,643 NZ$2,758

-34.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.39

110.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Hastings: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,147 in Mexico City versus $857 in Hastings. 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 54% higher in Hastings, 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 $52.0 in Mexico City versus $58.0 in Hastings. Groceries tell a different story – $344 in Mexico City vs $306 in Hastings – so Hastings 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 Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 8% more than Mexico City, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,523 per month in Mexico City and $2,718 in Hastings. 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 12% cheaper in Hastings – 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 $52.0 in Mexico City and $58.0 in Hastings. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,682, than in Hastings at $1,812. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,682 versus $1,812 in Hastings. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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