Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,355 in Rarotonga versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,003 in Rarotonga versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Rarotonga versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Rarotonga costs roughly 8% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rarotonga 1% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.13 NZ$20.62

$13.30 MX$230

-8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 NZ$101

$53.8 MX$932

10.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 NZ$13.12

$9.42 MX$163

-18.05%

Cappuccino

$4.42 NZ$7.52

$3.59 MX$62.2

23.12%

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

$3.42 NZ$5.81

$1.62 MX$28.11

111.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$4.91

$1.12 MX$19.48

158.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 NZ$11.35

$3.25 MX$56.3

105.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 NZ$9.39

$4.65 MX$80.6

18.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NZ$3.74

$1.64 MX$28.35

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NZ$4.87

$2.65 MX$45.98

8.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 NZ$2.53

$1.96 MX$33.97

-23.98%

Eggs

$6.48 NZ$11.01

$2.54 MX$44.06

155.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 NZ$15.11

$9.97 MX$173

-10.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 NZ$11.99

$8.39 MX$145

-15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 NZ$12.16

$11.83 MX$205

-39.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.18

$2.86 MX$49.59

6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.15

$1.73 MX$30.03

75.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 NZ$6.25

$1.99 MX$34.48

84.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 NZ$5.00

$2.05 MX$35.49

43.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$2.06 MX$35.62

-13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 NZ$2.34

$2.28 MX$39.52

-39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 NZ$2.99

$1.45 MX$25.04

21.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 NZ$6.27

$1.09 MX$18.82

238.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 NZ$25.22

$4.27 MX$73.9

247.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 NZ$20.31

$14.67 MX$254

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NZ$6.05

$1.76 MX$30.56

102.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 NZ$9.28

$3.57 MX$61.8

52.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 NZ$5.03

$0.38 MX$6.66

678.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$324

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.86 NZ$35.47

$1.39 MX$24.07

1400.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.25

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.20 NZ$61.5

$5.41 MX$93.8

569.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.16

$1.34 MX$23.21

38.81%

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

$12.3K NZ$20.9K

$18.9K MX$326.5K

-34.84%

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

$23.2K MX$401.8K

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

$92.0 NZ$156

$40.30 MX$698

128.19%

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

$30.46 NZ$51.8

$27.15 MX$470

12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 NZ$179

$29.46 MX$510

256.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.30 NZ$43.02

$52.7 MX$913

-52.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.83 NZ$40.52

$26.17 MX$453

-8.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 NZ$12.12

$6.18 MX$107

15.37%

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

$441 MX$7,633

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,433 NZ$2,437

$10.7K MX$185.3K

-86.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$991

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$780

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,792

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,883

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 NZ$834

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 NZ$806

$632 MX$10.9K

-24.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 NZ$1,221

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-66.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 NZ$1,227

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-42.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,055 NZ$6,894

$1,079 MX$18.7K

275.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-29.45%

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

Last update for Rarotonga: April 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $491 in Rarotonga and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rarotonga pays 276% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59 in Rarotonga vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $286 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

Rarotonga vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rarotonga and Mexico City differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,355 vs $1,466 including rent). Rarotonga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rarotonga pays 276% 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: $491 in Rarotonga versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rarotonga – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,355 per month in Rarotonga versus $1,466 in Mexico City – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,355 in Rarotonga versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rarotonga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rarotonga 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, Rarotonga 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 Rarotonga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.