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: $1,714 in Palmerston North versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,743 in Palmerston North versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Palmerston North versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 17% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 28% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 NZ$27.84

$13.18 MX$228

25.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 NZ$120

$53.9 MX$932

32.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 NZ$20.62

$9.42 MX$163

29.62%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NZ$6.03

$3.55 MX$61.4

0.56%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.02

$1.62 MX$27.98

46.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$1.11 MX$19.27

86.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 NZ$12.07

$3.12 MX$54.0

129.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 NZ$10.65

$4.63 MX$80.1

36.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.40

$1.70 MX$29.43

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$2.72 MX$47.02

-22.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.95

$1.91 MX$33.07

-8.38%

Eggs

$5.23 NZ$8.82

$2.54 MX$43.86

105.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$13.95

$10.03 MX$174

-17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 NZ$15.58

$8.09 MX$140

14.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 NZ$21.27

$11.62 MX$201

8.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.23

$2.97 MX$51.3

-15.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$1.81 MX$31.24

-0.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.15

$2.01 MX$34.82

22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.63

$2.03 MX$35.20

64.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.64

$2.12 MX$36.75

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$2.27 MX$39.25

-3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.45

$1.40 MX$24.22

45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.65

$1.13 MX$19.55

-14.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 NZ$34.68

$4.27 MX$73.9

381.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 NZ$15.27

$15.56 MX$269

-41.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.26

$1.76 MX$30.39

43.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 NZ$9.14

$3.60 MX$62.2

50.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 NZ$7.98

$0.38 MX$6.62

1142.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.37 NZ$51.3

$19.18 MX$332

58.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$1.38 MX$23.79

78.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$0.28 MX$4.78

557.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$28.73

$5.45 MX$94.2

212.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.92

$1.30 MX$22.55

33.08%

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

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

0.60%

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

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-5.93%

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

$89.8 NZ$152

$40.86 MX$707

119.77%

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

$37.60 NZ$63.5

$26.81 MX$464

40.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NZ$81.7

$29.96 MX$518

61.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 NZ$58.7

$52.0 MX$900

-33.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 NZ$22.22

$26.84 MX$464

-50.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 NZ$15.20

$6.30 MX$109

42.86%

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

$1,004 NZ$1,694

$436 MX$7,544

130.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-40.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$97.3

$56.7 MX$980

1.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 NZ$63.6

$44.38 MX$768

-15.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$154

$103 MX$1,780

-11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 NZ$158

$106 MX$1,825

-11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 NZ$1,416

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NZ$1,162

$631 MX$10.9K

9.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 NZ$2,614

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-27.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 NZ$2,347

$1,243 MX$21.5K

11.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 NZ$3,714

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-43.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 NZ$3,324

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-4.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,671 NZ$4,509

$1,115 MX$19.3K

139.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

11.34

-41.01%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Palmerston North and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 140% 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: $71.0 in Palmerston North vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 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

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

Palmerston North and Mexico City differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,714 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Palmerston North pays 140% 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: $839 in Palmerston North 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 Mexico City runs roughly 58% less than in Palmerston North. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,004 in Palmerston North versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,714 in Palmerston North, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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, 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.