Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,954 in New Plymouth versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,039 in New Plymouth versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,123 in New Plymouth versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 17% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Plymouth 42% above, Mexico City 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 NZ$25.33

$12.14 MX$206

22.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 NZ$119

$53.9 MX$913

29.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 NZ$17.71

$11.09 MX$188

-6.04%

Cappuccino

$3.51 NZ$5.97

$4.10 MX$69.4

-14.39%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.81

$1.68 MX$28.49

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 NZ$3.28

$1.39 MX$23.52

38.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 NZ$9.07

$3.33 MX$56.4

60.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 NZ$10.20

$5.88 MX$99.6

2.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.19

$1.85 MX$31.36

1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$3.17 MX$53.7

-47.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$2.07 MX$35.08

-16.43%

Eggs

$6.77 NZ$11.51

$2.93 MX$49.60

131.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 NZ$12.59

$12.59 MX$213

-41.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 NZ$21.91

$10.11 MX$171

27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 NZ$20.75

$16.09 MX$273

-24.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 NZ$4.62

$3.39 MX$57.4

-19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.36

$2.08 MX$35.21

-4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.46

$2.12 MX$35.92

51.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 NZ$11.23

$2.41 MX$40.89

173.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 NZ$4.31

$2.13 MX$36.07

18.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 NZ$2.50

$2.01 MX$33.97

-26.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$1.55 MX$26.18

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NZ$2.25

$1.36 MX$23.12

-2.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.53 NZ$39.99

$5.77 MX$97.7

307.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 NZ$14.57

$17.74 MX$301

-51.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 NZ$5.24

$2.07 MX$35.07

48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 NZ$6.71

$4.61 MX$78.2

-14.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$0.37 MX$6.20

381.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 NZ$132

$21.18 MX$359

265.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 NZ$2.99

$1.55 MX$26.30

13.55%

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

$46.3K NZ$78.7K

$22.9K MX$387.5K

102.51%

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

$24.9K NZ$42.3K

$27.2K MX$461.4K

-8.57%

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

$131 NZ$223

$67.4 MX$1,142

94.48%

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

$29.98 NZ$51.0

$30.62 MX$519

-2.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 NZ$83.3

$37.24 MX$631

31.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 NZ$75.2

$61.5 MX$1,041

-28.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$8.56 NZ$14.56

$7.11 MX$120

20.39%

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

$456 MX$7,728

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 NZ$148

$74.2 MX$1,257

17.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$966

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NZ$158

$115 MX$1,955

-19.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$200

$122 MX$2,059

-3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 NZ$1,609

$1,148 MX$19.4K

-17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 NZ$1,475

$709 MX$12.0K

22.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 NZ$3,060

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-30.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 NZ$2,788

$1,295 MX$21.9K

26.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 NZ$5,767

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-15.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,739 NZ$4,655

$2,130 MX$36.1K

28.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,889 NZ$4,911

$1,082 MX$18.3K

167.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

11.3

-47.52%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in New Plymouth and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 167% 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: $70.0 in New Plymouth vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $339 vs $345, with New Plymouth 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

New Plymouth vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Plymouth and Mexico City differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,954 vs $1,677 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 167% higher in New Plymouth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in New Plymouth versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $70.0 in New Plymouth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 266% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,954 in New Plymouth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in New Plymouth. 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, New Plymouth and Mexico City 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 17% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.