Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuku'alofa and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuku'alofa and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,877 in Nuku'alofa versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,725 in Nuku'alofa versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Nuku'alofa costs roughly 30% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nuku'alofa is 23% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.40 TOP 19.61

$13.18 MX$228

-36.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 TOP 147

$53.9 MX$932

16.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 TOP 23.83

$9.42 MX$163

8.39%

Cappuccino

$2.98 TOP 6.95

$3.55 MX$61.4

-16.06%

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

$2.90 TOP 6.78

$1.62 MX$27.98

79.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 TOP 5.60

$1.11 MX$19.27

116.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 TOP 7.95

$3.12 MX$54.0

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 TOP 11.91

$4.63 MX$80.1

10.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 TOP 3.57

$1.70 MX$29.43

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.40

$2.72 MX$47.02

-62.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 TOP 4.91

$1.91 MX$33.07

9.95%

Eggs

$4.95 TOP 11.56

$2.54 MX$43.86

94.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 TOP 20.67

$10.03 MX$174

-11.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 TOP 13.53

$8.09 MX$140

-28.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 TOP 17.89

$11.62 MX$201

-34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 TOP 6.37

$2.97 MX$51.3

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 TOP 6.33

$1.81 MX$31.24

49.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 TOP 6.73

$2.01 MX$34.82

43.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 TOP 8.67

$2.03 MX$35.20

82.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 TOP 7.26

$2.12 MX$36.75

46.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 TOP 6.02

$2.27 MX$39.25

13.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 TOP 5.13

$1.40 MX$24.22

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 TOP 3.16

$1.13 MX$19.55

20.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 TOP 23.90

$4.27 MX$73.9

139.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.31

$15.56 MX$269

10.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 TOP 7.53

$1.76 MX$30.39

83.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 TOP 7.59

$3.60 MX$62.2

-9.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 TOP 4.95

$0.38 MX$6.62

457.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.34 TOP 96.5

$19.18 MX$332

115.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 TOP 4.90

$1.38 MX$23.79

52.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.89 TOP 95.5

$5.45 MX$94.2

650.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 TOP 3.32

$1.30 MX$22.55

9.23%

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

$5,701 TOP 13.3K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

-69.49%

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

$8,202 TOP 19.1K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-64.54%

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

$189 TOP 441

$40.86 MX$707

362.04%

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

$22.48 TOP 52.5

$26.81 MX$464

-16.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 TOP 288

$29.96 MX$518

311.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.73 TOP 74.1

$52.0 MX$900

-39.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.42 TOP 96.7

$26.84 MX$464

54.32%

Cinema Ticket

$41.19 TOP 96.2

$6.30 MX$109

553.81%

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

$155 TOP 362

$436 MX$7,544

-64.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 590

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-97.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.44 TOP 33.71

$56.7 MX$980

-74.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.48 TOP 40.80

$44.38 MX$768

-60.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.87 TOP 48.71

$103 MX$1,780

-79.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.88 TOP 67.4

$106 MX$1,825

-72.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 TOP 1,434

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 TOP 1,939

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-61.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 TOP 1,309

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-54.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$416 TOP 971

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-89.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$248 TOP 578

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-88.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 TOP 1,573

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-39.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Nuku'alofa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Nuku'alofa and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 65% 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: $63.0 in Nuku'alofa vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $288 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

Nuku'alofa vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nuku'alofa and Mexico City differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $1,467 including rent). Nuku'alofa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 65% less. 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: $614 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nuku'alofa runs roughly 116% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $155 in Nuku'alofa versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nuku'alofa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nuku'alofa 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, Nuku'alofa 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 Nuku'alofa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.