Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manukau

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $1,914 in Manukau, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Manukau, New Zealand
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Manukau
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,914
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Manukau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $1,914 in Manukau, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,608
  • Manukau $1,914

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $2,853 in Manukau, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,549
  • Manukau $2,853

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $3,792 in Manukau, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,490
  • Manukau $3,792

Mexico City is about 16% cheaper than Manukau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mexico City and Manukau sit above the global median – Mexico City by 18%, Manukau by 41%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.62 MX$199
$12.06 NZ$21.42
-11.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 MX$908
$68.0 NZ$121
-28.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.35 MX$194
$8.28 NZ$14.71
25.00%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.3
$3.48 NZ$6.19
6.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$31.29
$2.04 NZ$3.63
-18.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.76
$1.74 NZ$3.08
-27.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.19 MX$59.9
$6.22 NZ$11.05
-48.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.31 MX$99.6
$5.62 NZ$9.98
-5.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.38
$1.44 NZ$2.56
19.44%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 MX$57.1
$1.30 NZ$2.31
133.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.44
$1.90 NZ$3.37
2.11%
Eggs
$2.89 MX$54.2
$5.26 NZ$9.34
-45.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.97 MX$206
$5.52 NZ$9.80
98.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 MX$174
$7.46 NZ$13.24
23.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.13 MX$284
$11.96 NZ$21.23
26.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 MX$57.2
$2.57 NZ$4.55
18.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.45
$2.16 NZ$3.84
-10.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.02
$2.97 NZ$5.27
-31.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 MX$43.46
$5.72 NZ$10.16
-59.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 MX$38.21
$2.09 NZ$3.70
-2.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 MX$33.79
$1.43 NZ$2.55
25.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 MX$27.77
$2.01 NZ$3.57
-26.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.80
$0.91 NZ$1.62
39.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.30 MX$99.6
$25.51 NZ$45.30
-79.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.10 MX$302
$10.51 NZ$18.65
53.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 MX$37.23
$2.84 NZ$5.04
-30.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$79.8
$3.32 NZ$5.90
28.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.73
$1.85 NZ$3.29
-83.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.73 MX$371
$111 NZ$197
-82.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.84 MX$34.50
$2.28 NZ$4.05
-19.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$10.02
$1.94 NZ$3.45
-72.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.30 MX$99.4
$32.50 NZ$57.7
-83.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 MX$28.36
$1.72 NZ$3.06
-12.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K MX$408.4K
$27.3K NZ$48.4K
-20.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K MX$450.3K
$21.8K NZ$38.8K
9.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.0 MX$1,182
$58.0 NZ$103
8.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.39 MX$514
$26.67 NZ$47.35
2.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.67 MX$670
$50.8 NZ$90.3
-29.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 MX$1,107
$43.35 NZ$77.0
35.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.64 MX$444
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40 MX$120
$12.35 NZ$21.92
-48.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$432 MX$8,103
$687 NZ$1,220
-37.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.4K MX$214.5K
$19.5K NZ$34.5K
-41.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.2 MX$1,281
$62.3 NZ$111
9.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 MX$997
$38.79 NZ$68.9
36.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 MX$2,023
$92.4 NZ$164
16.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 MX$2,202
$112 NZ$198
5.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,113 MX$20.9K
$1,036 NZ$1,840
7.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 MX$13.3K
$940 NZ$1,669
-24.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,588 MX$48.6K
$1,640 NZ$2,912
57.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,406 MX$26.4K
$1,494 NZ$2,653
-5.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 MX$68.2K
$4,976 NZ$8,834
-27.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,135 MX$40.1K
$3,073 NZ$5,457
-30.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Manukau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 MX$17.8K
$1,825 NZ$3,239
-48.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
5.9
92.37%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Manukau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$710
Manukau
$940 32.3% $230
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$320
Manukau
$282 11.7% $37
Eating Out
Mexico City
$199
Manukau
$221 11.1% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$156
Manukau
$137 11.9% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Manukau
$136 7.5% $9.5
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Manukau
$68 5.2% $3.7
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Manukau
$131 413% $105

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $1,036 in Manukau. 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 93% higher in Manukau. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $68 in Manukau. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Mexico City vs $282 in Manukau – so Manukau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇳🇿 Manukau
🕒 Local time
10:22 10:22 AM
05:22 5:22 AM
19 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
362,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Manukau 10,970 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Manukau

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 Manukau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Manukau compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $1,914 in Manukau – Mexico City comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Manukau?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $2,871 in Manukau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Manukau?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,113 in Mexico City and $1,036 in Manukau. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Manukau – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $68 in Manukau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Mexico City compared to Manukau?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,608 in Mexico City and $1,914 in Manukau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Manukau?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $1,914 in Manukau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Mexico City and Manukau?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manukau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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