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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $1,947 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $2,952 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $3,958 in Whanganui.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 14% less than in Whanganui, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 23% above, Whanganui 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$14.37 NZ$24.12

-17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$71.6 NZ$120

-27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$8.88 NZ$14.91

22.41%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$3.46 NZ$5.81

16.47%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$2.33 NZ$3.91

-26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$1.91 NZ$3.21

-29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$5.81 NZ$9.75

-41.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$5.71 NZ$9.59

0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.36 NZ$2.28

38.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.01 NZ$1.69

213.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$1.15 NZ$1.94

78.26%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$5.78 NZ$9.70

-47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$5.96 NZ$10.01

111.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$9.68 NZ$16.25

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$16.00 NZ$26.86

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$2.33 NZ$3.91

40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.99 NZ$3.34

3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$1.98 NZ$3.32

5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$3.56 NZ$5.98

-29.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$1.78 NZ$2.99

15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$1.28 NZ$2.15

46.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$2.15 NZ$3.61

-26.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.55 NZ$0.92

152.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$24.28 NZ$40.77

-77.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$10.29 NZ$17.27

74.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$2.72 NZ$4.56

-25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$2.30 NZ$3.86

106.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$1.66 NZ$2.79

-78.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$80.3 NZ$135

-74.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$2.00 NZ$3.35

3.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$1.93 NZ$3.25

-70.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$35.12 NZ$59.0

-83.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.59 NZ$2.68

-3.14%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$26.2K NZ$44.0K

-14.33%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$26.5K NZ$44.5K

-0.09%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$207 NZ$347

-68.11%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$32.26 NZ$54.2

-3.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$50.8 NZ$85.3

-28.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$39.90 NZ$67.0

44.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$5.75 NZ$9.66

24.00%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$1,117 NZ$1,875

-59.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$13.6K NZ$22.8K

-2.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$82.1 NZ$138

-7.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$29.68 NZ$49.85

82.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$108 NZ$182

7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$158 NZ$266

-23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$938 NZ$1,576

22.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$852 NZ$1,431

-14.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$1,532 NZ$2,573

63.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$1,427 NZ$2,396

-6.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$5,428 NZ$9,116

-28.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$3,954 NZ$6,640

-45.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

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: August 17, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $938 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $72.0 in Whanganui. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 vs $277, with Whanganui 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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Whanganui differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $1,947 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,523 in Mexico City and $2,920 in Whanganui to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $938 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 286% less than in Whanganui. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $1,117 in Whanganui. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,682 in Mexico City versus $1,947 in Whanganui, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Whanganui. 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 Whanganui 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 16% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.