Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palmerston North Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palmerston North

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,631 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,689 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,747 in Palmerston North.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1% more expensive than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Palmerston North 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$14.30 NZ$24.30

-15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$69.2 NZ$118

-24.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$9.49 NZ$16.13

14.86%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.42 NZ$5.82

18.42%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$2.45 NZ$4.17

-29.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$1.84 NZ$3.12

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$6.69 NZ$11.36

-48.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$7.13 NZ$12.12

-18.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.96 NZ$3.33

-5.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$2.31 NZ$3.92

39.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.40 NZ$2.38

49.29%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$5.38 NZ$9.14

-45.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.06 NZ$12.00

76.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$10.10 NZ$17.16

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$11.22 NZ$19.06

41.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.65 NZ$4.50

24.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.30 NZ$3.91

-4.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$5.93 NZ$10.08

-58.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.52 NZ$2.58

44.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$0.91 NZ$1.55

108.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.74 NZ$2.96

-6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.75 NZ$1.27

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$23.85 NZ$40.51

-77.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$8.53 NZ$14.48

106.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.91 NZ$4.94

63.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$4.22 NZ$7.17

-91.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$85.5 NZ$145

-74.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.96 NZ$3.33

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.86 NZ$3.17

-68.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$17.77 NZ$30.19

-66.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.73 NZ$2.94

-6.36%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$22.9K NZ$39.0K

-0.58%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

4.48%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$73.0 NZ$124

-10.65%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$33.34 NZ$56.6

-10.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$36.98 NZ$62.8

-1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$23.56 NZ$40.02

158.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$14.88 NZ$25.27

79.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$12.33 NZ$20.94

-44.44%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$1,105 NZ$1,876

-58.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$8,727 NZ$14.8K

53.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$73.9 NZ$126

1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$29.14 NZ$49.50

89.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$86.6 NZ$147

31.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$88.5 NZ$150

38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$955 NZ$1,623

18.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$665 NZ$1,129

7.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,655 NZ$2,811

55.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,364 NZ$2,317

-3.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$2,196 NZ$3,731

81.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,927 NZ$3,273

8.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$2,646 NZ$4,494

-60.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.39

109.65%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $955 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 153% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $69.0 in Palmerston North. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $301, with Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Palmerston North differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,631 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 153% lower in Palmerston North. 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $955 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Palmerston North runs roughly 296% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $1,105 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,631 in Palmerston North versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North 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.