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 $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Nuku'alofa versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Nuku'alofa versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Nuku'alofa costs roughly 29% 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 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.08 TOP 19.16

$13.07 MX$229

-38.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 TOP 149

$53.8 MX$943

17.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 TOP 24.27

$9.68 MX$170

5.68%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 7.05

$3.74 MX$65.6

-20.59%

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

$2.81 TOP 6.66

$1.62 MX$28.34

73.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 TOP 5.94

$1.16 MX$20.37

115.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.84

$3.23 MX$56.6

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 TOP 11.64

$4.74 MX$83.1

3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 TOP 3.75

$1.65 MX$28.89

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 TOP 2.50

$2.75 MX$48.30

-61.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 TOP 4.80

$1.87 MX$32.87

8.02%

Eggs

$4.94 TOP 11.71

$2.50 MX$43.86

97.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 TOP 21.25

$10.20 MX$179

-12.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 TOP 14.18

$8.25 MX$145

-27.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.84 TOP 18.59

$11.82 MX$207

-33.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 TOP 6.52

$3.01 MX$52.8

-8.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 TOP 6.71

$1.81 MX$31.77

56.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 TOP 6.98

$2.00 MX$35.07

47.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.63

$2.00 MX$35.00

82.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 TOP 7.48

$2.08 MX$36.56

51.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 TOP 6.35

$2.27 MX$39.85

18.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 TOP 5.22

$1.46 MX$25.55

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TOP 3.18

$1.08 MX$18.88

24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 TOP 23.96

$4.35 MX$76.3

132.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 TOP 39.97

$16.99 MX$298

-0.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 TOP 7.33

$1.73 MX$30.40

78.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 TOP 8.03

$3.58 MX$62.7

-5.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 TOP 4.85

$0.39 MX$6.79

423.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.93 TOP 97.1

$18.69 MX$328

118.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 TOP 4.83

$1.33 MX$23.25

53.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.76 TOP 99.1

$5.25 MX$92.1

695.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.48

$1.34 MX$23.44

9.70%

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

$5,767 TOP 13.7K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

-70.29%

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

$8,441 TOP 20.0K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-64.58%

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

$189 TOP 447

$40.69 MX$714

363.33%

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

$21.99 TOP 52.2

$26.87 MX$471

-18.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$124 TOP 295

$30.51 MX$535

306.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.31 TOP 74.3

$52.8 MX$926

-40.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.25 TOP 100

$26.65 MX$467

58.54%

Cinema Ticket

$41.59 TOP 98.7

$6.51 MX$114

538.86%

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

$155 TOP 367

$428 MX$7,508

-63.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$245 TOP 581

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-97.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.79 TOP 35.08

$57.3 MX$1,004

-74.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 42.09

$45.50 MX$798

-61.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.16 TOP 50.2

$104 MX$1,825

-79.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.83 TOP 68.4

$108 MX$1,891

-73.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 TOP 1,480

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 TOP 1,983

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-60.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 TOP 1,293

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-55.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 970

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-89.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$248 TOP 588

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-87.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 TOP 1,585

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-35.62%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $624 in Nuku'alofa and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 55% 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. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $292, with Nuku'alofa 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

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

Nuku'alofa and Mexico City differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $1,456 including rent). Nuku'alofa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Mexico City. 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: $624 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,003 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 119% 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 $428 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 $1,456 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 42% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.