Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,631 in Palmerston North versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,689 in Palmerston North versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,747 in Palmerston North versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 1% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 19% above, Mexico City 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.30 NZ$24.30

$12.11 MX$205

18.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 NZ$118

$52.2 MX$883

32.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 NZ$16.13

$10.90 MX$184

-12.94%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$5.82

$4.05 MX$68.5

-15.56%

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

$2.45 NZ$4.17

$1.72 MX$29.00

42.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.12

$1.38 MX$23.29

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 NZ$11.36

$3.47 MX$58.6

92.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 NZ$12.12

$5.81 MX$98.2

22.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$1.85 MX$31.33

5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 NZ$3.92

$3.22 MX$54.5

-28.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 NZ$2.38

$2.09 MX$35.25

-33.01%

Eggs

$5.38 NZ$9.14

$2.91 MX$49.18

84.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.06 NZ$12.00

$12.49 MX$211

-43.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 NZ$17.16

$10.11 MX$171

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 NZ$19.06

$15.89 MX$269

-29.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.50

$3.31 MX$56.0

-19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.85

$2.13 MX$35.95

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$3.91

$2.19 MX$37.03

5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NZ$10.08

$2.45 MX$41.37

142.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.58

$2.19 MX$37.00

-30.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 NZ$1.55

$1.90 MX$32.20

-52.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 NZ$2.96

$1.62 MX$27.31

7.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.27

$1.35 MX$22.82

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.85 NZ$40.51

$5.43 MX$91.7

339.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 NZ$14.48

$17.59 MX$297

-51.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$4.94

$2.07 MX$34.96

40.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$4.94

$4.75 MX$80.2

-38.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.22 NZ$7.17

$0.34 MX$5.75

1141.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NZ$145

$21.58 MX$365

296.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$2.04 MX$34.49

-3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.17

$0.58 MX$9.77

220.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.77 NZ$30.19

$5.97 MX$101

197.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$1.62 MX$27.31

6.79%

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

$22.9K NZ$39.0K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

0.58%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-4.29%

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

$73.0 NZ$124

$65.2 MX$1,103

11.93%

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

$33.34 NZ$56.6

$29.87 MX$505

11.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.98 NZ$62.8

$36.55 MX$618

1.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.56 NZ$40.02

$61.0 MX$1,031

-61.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 NZ$25.27

$26.70 MX$451

-44.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 NZ$20.94

$6.85 MX$116

80.00%

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

$1,105 NZ$1,876

$453 MX$7,664

143.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,727 NZ$14.8K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-34.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 NZ$126

$75.0 MX$1,267

-1.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.14 NZ$49.50

$55.3 MX$935

-47.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 NZ$147

$114 MX$1,920

-23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 NZ$150

$123 MX$2,073

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 NZ$1,623

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 NZ$1,129

$712 MX$12.0K

-6.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 NZ$2,811

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 NZ$2,317

$1,311 MX$22.2K

4.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 NZ$3,731

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-44.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,927 NZ$3,273

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-8.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,646 NZ$4,494

$1,047 MX$17.7K

152.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.3

-52.30%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Palmerston North and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 153% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Palmerston North vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $345, with Palmerston North 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

Palmerston North vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North and Mexico City differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,631 vs $1,646 including rent). Palmerston North is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 153% higher in Palmerston North, 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: $955 in Palmerston North versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Palmerston North runs roughly 296% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,105 in Palmerston North versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,631 in Palmerston North versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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, Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.