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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $1,163 in Rolleston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,196 in Rolleston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $3,229 in Rolleston.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than in Rolleston, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Rolleston is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$14.07 NZ$24.87

-14.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$934

$69.8 NZ$123

-24.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$9.09 NZ$16.07

28.60%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.4

$3.36 NZ$5.94

15.18%

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

$1.75 MX$30.94

$2.08 NZ$3.68

-15.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.65

$1.82 NZ$3.22

-23.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.4

$6.76 NZ$11.94

-50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$6.43 NZ$11.36

-10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$31.92

$1.70 NZ$3.01

6.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.5

$1.92 NZ$3.39

60.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.65

$1.54 NZ$2.72

38.31%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.6

$5.90 NZ$10.43

-49.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$221

$7.81 NZ$13.80

60.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$181

$9.57 NZ$16.91

7.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$281

$13.93 NZ$24.61

14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$59.8

$2.59 NZ$4.57

30.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.24

$2.31 NZ$4.09

-8.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.59

$2.67 NZ$4.71

-20.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.61

$5.20 NZ$9.20

-52.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.03

$1.87 NZ$3.30

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.59

$1.48 NZ$2.61

35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.15

$2.37 NZ$4.19

-32.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.50

$0.60 NZ$1.07

121.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.0

$24.60 NZ$43.47

-77.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$310

$8.53 NZ$15.07

105.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.61

$3.58 NZ$6.33

-43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.8

$3.51 NZ$6.20

35.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.94

$1.16 NZ$2.05

-70.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.28

$2.63 NZ$4.65

-22.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.75

$1.74 NZ$3.08

-64.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$29.01 NZ$51.3

-80.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.09

$1.71 NZ$3.01

-7.02%

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

$22.9K MX$404.6K

$25.6K NZ$45.3K

-10.71%

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

$26.4K MX$466.2K

$25.3K NZ$44.7K

4.27%

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

$64.2 MX$1,135

$110 NZ$195

-41.71%

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

$29.42 MX$520

$23.01 NZ$40.66

27.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$651

$45.13 NZ$79.8

-18.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,038

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$469

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$10.51 NZ$18.57

-33.87%

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

$463 MX$8,180

$343 NZ$607

34.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$236.2K

$6,997 NZ$12.4K

90.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,333

$59.6 NZ$105

26.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$958

$35.59 NZ$62.9

52.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,965

$93.8 NZ$166

18.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,160

$124 NZ$220

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.0K

$284 NZ$502

298.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.3K

$260 NZ$459

168.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.2K

$1,014 NZ$1,791

140.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.0K

$1,101 NZ$1,946

18.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.1K

$2,052 NZ$3,625

90.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.6K

$1,830 NZ$3,233

13.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.6K

$4,491 NZ$7,937

-76.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.91

91.20%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Rolleston: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $284 in Rolleston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 327% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $70.0 in Rolleston. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $310, with Rolleston 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 Rolleston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rolleston differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,668 vs $1,163 including rent). Rolleston is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 327% lower in Rolleston. 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: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $284 in Rolleston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Mexico City versus $343 in Rolleston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rolleston – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,163 in Rolleston versus $1,668 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rolleston but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rolleston 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 Rolleston 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 Rolleston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.