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: $1,843 in New Plymouth versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,770 in New Plymouth versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in New Plymouth versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in New Plymouth is roughly 24% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Plymouth 37% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 NZ$25.96

$13.29 MX$231

14.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 NZ$132

$53.8 MX$933

44.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 NZ$18.23

$9.29 MX$161

15.39%

Cappuccino

$3.76 NZ$6.39

$3.61 MX$62.6

4.16%

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

$2.37 NZ$4.02

$1.56 MX$27.03

51.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NZ$3.50

$1.12 MX$19.46

83.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 NZ$8.94

$3.13 MX$54.3

68.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 NZ$12.53

$4.71 MX$81.7

56.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.45

$1.70 MX$29.54

19.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 NZ$2.50

$2.77 MX$48.03

-46.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.10

$1.96 MX$34.05

-7.14%

Eggs

$6.10 NZ$10.37

$2.60 MX$45.21

134.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 NZ$12.79

$9.94 MX$173

-24.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 NZ$22.14

$8.10 MX$141

60.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 NZ$21.59

$11.50 MX$200

10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.67

$2.87 MX$49.84

-24.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.35

$1.73 MX$30.07

13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 NZ$5.54

$2.00 MX$34.73

63.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 NZ$11.34

$2.04 MX$35.38

226.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.31

$2.08 MX$36.14

22.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.84

$2.20 MX$38.12

-24.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NZ$3.40

$1.45 MX$25.24

37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NZ$2.43

$1.07 MX$18.63

33.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.83 NZ$35.42

$4.27 MX$74.2

387.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 NZ$14.78

$14.32 MX$249

-39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 NZ$6.44

$1.76 MX$30.62

115.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 NZ$7.58

$3.70 MX$64.2

20.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$0.35 MX$6.12

408.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 NZ$111

$19.19 MX$333

239.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 NZ$3.14

$1.34 MX$23.18

38.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 NZ$5.68

$0.28 MX$4.83

1092.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.05 NZ$61.3

$5.33 MX$92.6

576.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.34 MX$23.27

23.13%

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

$48.5K NZ$82.4K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

153.46%

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

$24.5K NZ$41.6K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

2.55%

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

$208 NZ$354

$39.86 MX$692

421.73%

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

$30.73 NZ$52.2

$26.78 MX$465

14.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 NZ$51.2

$29.36 MX$510

2.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 NZ$60.9

$53.4 MX$927

-32.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 NZ$20.84

$26.09 MX$453

-53.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 NZ$18.48

$6.40 MX$111

69.84%

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

$753 NZ$1,281

$440 MX$7,647

71.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NZ$20.2K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

10.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NZ$153

$57.6 MX$1,000

55.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.03 NZ$61.3

$45.02 MX$781

-19.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 NZ$125

$104 MX$1,801

-29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 NZ$114

$108 MX$1,874

-37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 NZ$1,252

$1,013 MX$17.6K

-27.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 NZ$1,141

$630 MX$10.9K

6.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 NZ$2,338

$2,162 MX$37.5K

-36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 NZ$1,998

$1,222 MX$21.2K

-3.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,328 NZ$5,658

$3,793 MX$65.8K

-12.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,725 NZ$4,633

$2,332 MX$40.5K

16.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,702 NZ$4,593

$1,075 MX$18.7K

151.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

11.34

-47.71%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: April 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $736 in New Plymouth and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 151% 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: $78 in New Plymouth vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $285 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

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

New Plymouth and Mexico City differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,843 vs $1,484 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

New Plymouth pays 151% more on average, 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: $736 in New Plymouth versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 239% less than in New Plymouth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $753 in New Plymouth versus $440 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,843 in New Plymouth, a $2,000 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 24% less than in New Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.