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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,436 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $3,489 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $4,542 in Wellington.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 31% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 22% above, Wellington 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$14.34 NZ$24.66

-15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$67.3 NZ$116

-19.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$9.72 NZ$16.72

14.09%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.41 NZ$5.87

20.23%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$2.57 NZ$4.42

-34.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.84 NZ$3.17

-24.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$7.61 NZ$13.08

-56.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$7.12 NZ$12.24

-17.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.92 NZ$3.30

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$2.32 NZ$3.99

36.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.93 NZ$3.32

7.25%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$7.29 NZ$12.53

-59.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$9.78 NZ$16.82

28.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$10.05 NZ$17.27

0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$15.73 NZ$27.04

2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.21 NZ$5.51

5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$2.31 NZ$3.98

-9.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.15 NZ$5.42

-32.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$6.67 NZ$11.47

-63.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.14 NZ$3.69

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.31 NZ$2.25

53.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$2.19 NZ$3.76

-29.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.20 NZ$2.07

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$26.36 NZ$45.33

-78.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$11.86 NZ$20.39

49.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$3.24 NZ$5.58

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.92 NZ$5.01

57.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$3.00 NZ$5.16

-87.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$108 NZ$186

-80.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.97 NZ$3.38

4.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$1.92 NZ$3.30

-69.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$34.88 NZ$60.0

-82.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.98 NZ$3.41

-21.72%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$26.0K NZ$44.7K

-11.92%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$26.7K NZ$46.0K

1.84%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$206 NZ$355

-67.32%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$32.99 NZ$56.7

-7.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$56.2 NZ$96.7

-33.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$40.29 NZ$69.3

52.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$17.02 NZ$29.26

59.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$12.98 NZ$22.31

-45.22%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$1,107 NZ$1,904

-58.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$13.5K NZ$23.3K

1.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$80.1 NZ$138

-7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$29.15 NZ$50.1

95.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$108 NZ$185

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$163 NZ$280

-25.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$1,297 NZ$2,230

-11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$1,210 NZ$2,080

-41.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$2,278 NZ$3,917

13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,759 NZ$3,024

-26.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$7,004 NZ$12.0K

-42.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$3,701 NZ$6,364

-42.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$2,914 NZ$5,009

-62.86%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Wellington: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $1,297 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 169% 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 $67.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $360 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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Wellington differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $2,436 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 169% lower in Wellington. 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 $1,297 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 410% less than in Wellington. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $1,107 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $2,436 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Wellington. 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 Wellington 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 45% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.