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 $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $1,421 in Hastings, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Mexico City vs $2,292 in Hastings, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,278 per month in Mexico City vs $3,162 in Hastings, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 4% more than Hastings, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mexico City and Hastings sit above the global median – Mexico City by 11%, Hastings by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$12.12 NZ$20.72

7.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$83.7 NZ$143

-36.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$9.51 NZ$16.27

2.21%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.41 NZ$5.84

9.97%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.85 NZ$3.16

-15.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$2.05 NZ$3.51

-44.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$5.89 NZ$10.08

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$7.28 NZ$12.44

-35.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.90 NZ$3.25

-14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.04 NZ$3.49

32.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.94 NZ$3.32

-3.09%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$6.16 NZ$10.53

-59.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.02 NZ$13.72

25.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$11.16 NZ$19.09

-25.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.63 NZ$21.61

-5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.86 NZ$4.89

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.13 NZ$3.64

-17.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.01 NZ$5.15

-30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.80 NZ$8.21

-58.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.87 NZ$3.20

15.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.47 NZ$2.51

48.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.17 NZ$3.72

-35.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.97 NZ$1.67

15.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$21.89 NZ$37.43

-80.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$9.69 NZ$16.57

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$3.72 NZ$6.36

-52.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.84 NZ$4.86

29.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.50 NZ$4.28

-84.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$61.4 NZ$105

-69.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$2.78 NZ$4.75

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.84 NZ$3.14

-83.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$60.1 NZ$103

-90.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.67 NZ$2.85

-19.16%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$31.0K NZ$52.9K

-39.02%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.7K NZ$35.5K

11.63%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$155 NZ$266

-73.73%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$32.96 NZ$56.4

-16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$51.8 NZ$88.5

-41.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$36.54 NZ$62.5

46.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$12.09 NZ$20.67

117.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$10.88 NZ$18.61

-42.37%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$806 NZ$1,379

-45.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$12.7K NZ$21.7K

-17.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$62.9 NZ$108

-9.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$53.2 NZ$91.0

-15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$116 NZ$198

-11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$135 NZ$230

-19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$395 NZ$675

153.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$349 NZ$598

77.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,042 NZ$1,782

105.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$585 NZ$1,001

111.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$2,157 NZ$3,688

-50.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.94

63.40%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hastings: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,000 in Mexico City versus $395 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 102% higher in Hastings, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Mexico City versus $84.0 in Hastings. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $325 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Mexico City costs about 4% more than Hastings, 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 $2,225 per month in Mexico City and $2,131 in Hastings. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hastings, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Mexico City – 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 $53.0 in Mexico City and $84.0 in Hastings. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hastings, where all-in costs run around $1,421, than in Mexico City at $1,484. In Hastings it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hastings costs $1,421 versus $1,484 in Mexico City. 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 Hastings. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.