Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and New Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and New Plymouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,954 in New Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $3,039 in New Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $4,123 in New Plymouth.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 14% less than in New Plymouth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, New Plymouth 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$14.90 NZ$25.33

-18.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$913

$70.0 NZ$119

-22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$10.42 NZ$17.71

6.43%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.4

$3.51 NZ$5.97

16.81%

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

$1.68 MX$28.49

$2.24 NZ$3.81

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.52

$1.93 NZ$3.28

-27.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.4

$5.33 NZ$9.07

-37.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.6

$6.00 NZ$10.20

-2.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.36

$1.88 NZ$3.19

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.7

$1.66 NZ$2.82

90.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.08

$1.73 NZ$2.94

19.65%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.60

$6.77 NZ$11.51

-56.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.41 NZ$12.59

69.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$12.89 NZ$21.91

-21.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$12.21 NZ$20.75

31.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.4

$2.72 NZ$4.62

24.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.21

$1.98 NZ$3.36

5.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.92

$3.21 NZ$5.46

-33.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.89

$6.60 NZ$11.23

-63.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.07

$2.53 NZ$4.31

-15.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.97

$1.47 NZ$2.50

36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.18

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-20.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.12

$1.32 NZ$2.25

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.7

$23.53 NZ$39.99

-75.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$8.57 NZ$14.57

107.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.07

$3.08 NZ$5.24

-32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.2

$3.95 NZ$6.71

16.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.20

$1.78 NZ$3.03

-79.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$77.5 NZ$132

-72.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.30

$1.76 NZ$2.99

-11.93%

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

$22.9K MX$387.5K

$46.3K NZ$78.7K

-50.62%

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

$27.2K MX$461.4K

$24.9K NZ$42.3K

9.37%

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

$67.4 MX$1,142

$131 NZ$223

-48.58%

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

$30.62 MX$519

$29.98 NZ$51.0

2.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$631

$49.00 NZ$83.3

-24.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,041

$44.22 NZ$75.2

38.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$8.56 NZ$14.56

-16.94%

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

$456 MX$7,728

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,257

$86.9 NZ$148

-14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$966

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,955

$92.9 NZ$158

24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,059

$118 NZ$200

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$947 NZ$1,609

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$868 NZ$1,475

-18.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,800 NZ$3,060

43.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$1,640 NZ$2,788

-21.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$3,393 NZ$5,767

18.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$2,739 NZ$4,655

-22.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$2,889 NZ$4,911

-62.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.93

90.56%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for New Plymouth: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $947 in New Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 167% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $70.0 in New Plymouth. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $339, with New Plymouth 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 New Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and New Plymouth differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,954 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 167% lower in New Plymouth. 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 $947 in New Plymouth. 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 $54.0 versus $70.0 in New Plymouth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 266% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,954 in New Plymouth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and New Plymouth 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.