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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,355 in Rarotonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $2,003 in Rarotonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,650 in Rarotonga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 8% more expensive than Rarotonga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Rarotonga 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$12.13 NZ$20.50

9.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$59.4 NZ$100

-9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.72 NZ$13.04

22.02%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$4.42 NZ$7.48

-18.78%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$3.42 NZ$5.77

-52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$2.89 NZ$4.88

-61.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.67 NZ$11.28

-51.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$5.53 NZ$9.34

-15.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.20 NZ$3.72

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$2.87 NZ$4.84

-7.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.49 NZ$2.51

31.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$6.48 NZ$10.95

-60.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.89 NZ$15.02

12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$7.05 NZ$11.92

19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$7.15 NZ$12.09

65.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$3.05 NZ$5.15

-6.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$3.03 NZ$5.12

-42.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$3.68 NZ$6.21

-45.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$2.94 NZ$4.97

-30.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.78 NZ$3.01

15.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.38 NZ$2.33

65.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.76 NZ$2.97

-17.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$3.69 NZ$6.23

-70.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$14.84 NZ$25.07

-71.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$11.95 NZ$20.19

22.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$3.56 NZ$6.01

-50.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$5.46 NZ$9.22

-34.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$2.96 NZ$5.00

-87.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$20.86 NZ$35.26

-93.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$36.20 NZ$61.2

-85.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.86 NZ$3.15

-27.96%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$12.3K NZ$20.8K

53.46%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

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

$40.30 MX$698

$92.0 NZ$155

-56.18%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$30.46 NZ$51.5

-10.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$105 NZ$178

-71.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$25.30 NZ$42.76

108.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$23.83 NZ$40.28

9.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$7.13 NZ$12.05

-13.32%

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

$441 MX$7,637

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$1,433 NZ$2,422

646.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$491 NZ$829

103.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$474 NZ$801

33.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$718 NZ$1,214

197.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$722 NZ$1,220

73.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$4,055 NZ$6,853

-73.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

41.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Rarotonga: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $491 in Rarotonga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rarotonga pays 276% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $59 in Rarotonga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $341 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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 Rarotonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rarotonga differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,355 including rent). Rarotonga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rarotonga earns 276% less. 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $491 in Rarotonga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rarotonga – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,466 per month in Mexico City versus $1,355 in Rarotonga – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,355 in Rarotonga versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rarotonga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rarotonga 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 Rarotonga 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 Rarotonga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.