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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in Rolleston versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Rolleston versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Rolleston versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Rolleston is roughly 24% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rolleston 37% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.63 NZ$28.19

$13.14 MX$227

26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 NZ$121

$53.5 MX$926

33.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 NZ$16.62

$9.33 MX$161

5.14%

Cappuccino

$3.35 NZ$5.67

$3.70 MX$64.0

-9.46%

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

$2.23 NZ$3.77

$1.60 MX$27.76

39.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 NZ$3.43

$1.12 MX$19.34

80.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 NZ$12.47

$3.14 MX$54.3

134.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 NZ$10.50

$4.85 MX$83.9

27.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.09

$1.65 MX$28.61

10.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NZ$3.32

$2.71 MX$46.96

-27.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$2.87

$1.91 MX$33.03

-11.52%

Eggs

$5.62 NZ$9.53

$2.59 MX$44.81

116.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 NZ$14.17

$9.81 MX$170

-14.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.57

$8.43 MX$146

16.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 NZ$21.51

$11.93 MX$206

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 NZ$4.89

$2.95 MX$51.1

-2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$3.97

$1.74 MX$30.10

34.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.23

$2.04 MX$35.38

51.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 NZ$9.49

$2.06 MX$35.64

171.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.22

$2.15 MX$37.20

-11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.42

$2.26 MX$39.02

-10.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NZ$4.93

$1.39 MX$23.97

109.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.79

$1.12 MX$19.31

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.07 NZ$40.80

$4.22 MX$73.0

470.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 NZ$14.42

$17.51 MX$303

-51.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 NZ$6.35

$1.71 MX$29.58

118.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 NZ$6.00

$3.63 MX$62.8

-2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 NZ$3.64

$0.35 MX$6.10

514.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 NZ$111

$19.32 MX$334

238.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NZ$4.47

$1.38 MX$23.80

91.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NZ$1.84

$0.28 MX$4.77

289.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 NZ$51.0

$5.28 MX$91.3

469.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.36 MX$23.50

21.32%

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

$20.1K NZ$34.1K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

5.35%

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

$20.1K NZ$34.0K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

-14.99%

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

$99.7 NZ$169

$40.53 MX$701

145.94%

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

$31.21 NZ$52.9

$27.38 MX$474

13.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NZ$89.4

$30.38 MX$526

73.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.05 NZ$62.8

$52.2 MX$903

-29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.27 NZ$20.80

$26.48 MX$458

-53.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.79 NZ$16.59

$6.19 MX$107

58.16%

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

$592 NZ$1,003

$425 MX$7,355

39.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,189 NZ$12.2K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-33.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 NZ$109

$58.3 MX$1,009

10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.37 NZ$61.7

$44.57 MX$771

-18.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 NZ$154

$103 MX$1,791

-12.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$205

$109 MX$1,881

11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,650

$1,014 MX$17.5K

-4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,320

$623 MX$10.8K

25.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NZ$1,865

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-48.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 NZ$1,736

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-16.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,060 NZ$3,492

$3,792 MX$65.6K

-45.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,872 NZ$3,173

$2,110 MX$36.5K

-11.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,624 NZ$7,838

$1,052 MX$18.2K

339.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

11.34

-40.56%

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

Last update for Rolleston: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Rolleston and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 339% 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: $72.0 in Rolleston vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $293 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

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

Rolleston and Mexico City differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,821 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 339% higher in Rolleston, 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: $973 in Rolleston versus $1,014 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 238% less than in Rolleston. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $592 in Rolleston versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,821 in Rolleston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Rolleston. 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, Rolleston 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 24% less than in Rolleston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.