Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,274 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
Learn more

Wellington Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,274 in Wellington.

Mexico City $1,674
Wellington $2,274

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $3,372 in Wellington.

Mexico City $2,606
Wellington $3,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $4,470 in Wellington.

Mexico City $3,537
Wellington $4,470

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 26% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Wellington 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$14.09 NZ$25.18

-24.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$976

$65.6 NZ$117

-20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$9.40 NZ$16.80

14.15%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.3

$3.32 NZ$5.93

14.46%

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

$1.61 MX$30.28

$2.35 NZ$4.20

-31.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.76

$1.73 NZ$3.10

-30.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.7

$7.32 NZ$13.08

-56.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$6.65 NZ$11.88

-18.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.26

$1.83 NZ$3.26

-6.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.7

$2.13 NZ$3.82

39.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.17

$1.84 NZ$3.28

4.89%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.1

$6.89 NZ$12.32

-59.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$219

$9.32 NZ$16.65

25.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$9.87 NZ$17.64

-3.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$14.86 NZ$26.55

3.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.3

$2.95 NZ$5.27

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.82

$2.21 NZ$3.95

-11.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.22

$3.02 NZ$5.39

-34.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.86

$6.27 NZ$11.21

-62.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.00

$2.10 NZ$3.75

-3.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.26

$1.40 NZ$2.50

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.00

$2.04 NZ$3.64

-24.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$1.18 NZ$2.11

11.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$24.59 NZ$43.94

-78.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$304

$11.27 NZ$20.14

43.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.79

$3.23 NZ$5.78

-39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

$2.94 NZ$5.25

47.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.72

$2.78 NZ$4.97

-89.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$366

$104 NZ$186

-81.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.01

$1.84 NZ$3.28

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

$1.78 NZ$3.19

-73.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$34.07 NZ$60.9

-84.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

$1.82 NZ$3.25

-18.68%

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

$27.7K NZ$49.5K

-22.88%

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

$23.6K NZ$42.2K

0.47%

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

$62.0 MX$1,164

$188 NZ$336

-66.99%

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

$28.47 MX$535

$31.98 NZ$57.1

-10.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$641

$51.7 NZ$92.4

-34.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,097

$36.71 NZ$65.6

59.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

$16.00 NZ$28.59

53.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$12.00 NZ$21.45

-45.08%

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

$434 MX$8,155

$1,062 NZ$1,898

-59.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$263.6K

$22.7K NZ$40.5K

-38.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

$78.3 NZ$140

-12.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

$27.75 NZ$49.58

97.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

$102 NZ$182

8.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

$151 NZ$269

-23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$1,148 NZ$2,051

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$1,064 NZ$1,901

-27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.3K

$1,996 NZ$3,567

28.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$1,796 NZ$3,209

-20.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

$6,545 NZ$11.7K

-45.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$3,561 NZ$6,363

-42.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

$2,741 NZ$4,898

-63.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.39

110.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Wellington: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.8% 38% $293

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Wellington

$344 15.1% 6.3% $20

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Wellington

$247 10.9% 23.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Wellington

$161 7.1% 2.4% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Wellington

$272 11.9% 118% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Wellington

$61 2.7% 15.2% $11

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Wellington

$126 5.5% 404% $101

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,148 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $66 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $344 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

19 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

1 NZD = 0.56 USD

1 NZD = 0.498 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 NZD (1 NZD = 0.56 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 NZD (1 NZD = 0.498 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Wellington 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Wellington

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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $2,274 in Wellington, so Mexico City is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Mexico City. 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,148 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 81% less than in Wellington. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $1,062 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Wellington on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.