Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tijuana and Rarotonga

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,099 a month against $1,303 in Tijuana, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Tijuana despite lower rent and utilities.

64

Cost of Living Index in Tijuana
Learn more

Tijuana Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Rarotonga
Learn more

Rarotonga Living Index

Jump to prices

Tijuana

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,303

/mo nomad

Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tijuana and in Rarotonga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tijuana and in Rarotonga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,303 in Tijuana versus $1,099 in Rarotonga.

Tijuana $1,303
Rarotonga $1,099

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Tijuana versus $1,561 in Rarotonga.

Tijuana $2,067
Rarotonga $1,561

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Tijuana versus $2,023 in Rarotonga.

Tijuana $2,831
Rarotonga $2,023

Living in Tijuana is roughly 19% more expensive than in Rarotonga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tijuana 3% lower, Rarotonga 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 MX$218

$14.15 NZ$25.24

-15.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.25 MX$641

$50.4 NZ$90.0

-30.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$176

$5.69 NZ$10.15

70.30%

Cappuccino

$4.34 MX$78.9

$3.48 NZ$6.20

24.71%

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

$1.42 MX$25.91

$2.24 NZ$4.00

-36.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.12

$2.31 NZ$4.12

-47.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MX$61.3

$5.02 NZ$8.96

-32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 MX$118

$4.96 NZ$8.85

31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$32.32

$2.87 NZ$5.11

-37.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 MX$52.3

$2.77 NZ$4.94

3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 MX$32.83

Eggs

$3.25 MX$59.2

$6.19 NZ$11.03

-47.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 MX$148

$7.48 NZ$13.33

8.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 MX$137

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 MX$219

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MX$30.47

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$34.47

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.31

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$28.96

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.10

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$27.59

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MX$80.3

$11.18 NZ$19.94

-60.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 MX$150

$11.23 NZ$20.03

-26.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 MX$39.55

$3.48 NZ$6.21

-37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$74.8

$5.08 NZ$9.07

-19.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 MX$20.54

$2.80 NZ$5.00

-59.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.84 MX$561

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 MX$51.6

$20.06 NZ$35.78

-85.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MX$41.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.42 MX$353

$34.02 NZ$60.7

-42.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.01

$1.74 NZ$3.10

-11.49%

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

$21.5K MX$391.6K

$11.2K NZ$20.1K

91.47%

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

$24.7K MX$449.7K

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

$46.78 MX$851

$100 NZ$179

-53.41%

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

$34.62 MX$630

$47.47 NZ$84.7

-27.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.93 MX$544

$104 NZ$185

-71.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.13 MX$748

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.05 MX$147

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 MX$126

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

$209 MX$3,803

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,606 MX$83.8K

$1,360 NZ$2,426

238.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MX$987

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 MX$855

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,885

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 MX$1,274

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 MX$15.8K

$445 NZ$794

94.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MX$8,746

$452 NZ$807

6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 MX$28.2K

$684 NZ$1,220

126.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 MX$16.5K

$624 NZ$1,113

45.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 MX$56.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,713 MX$49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$951 MX$17.3K

$3,906 NZ$6,968

-75.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

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

Last update for Tijuana: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rarotonga: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tijuana

$481 36.8%

Rarotonga

$452 40.6% 5.9% $28

Groceries & Markets

Tijuana

$268 20.5%

Rarotonga

$154 * 13.8% 42.7% $114

Eating Out

Tijuana

$217 16.7%

Rarotonga

$225 20.2% 3.6% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Tijuana

$124 9.5%

Rarotonga

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tijuana

$111 8.5%

Rarotonga

$251 22.6% 126% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Tijuana

$55 4.2%

Rarotonga

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Tijuana

$49 3.8%

Rarotonga

$31 * 2.8% 36.8% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Tijuana and $445 in Rarotonga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rarotonga pays 311% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Tijuana vs $50.0 in Rarotonga. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $154, with Rarotonga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tijuana

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🕒 Local time

04:16 4:16 AM

01:16 1:16 AM

3 h behind Tijuana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,810,645

13,373

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.91 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.38 MXN (100 MXN = 4.91 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tijuana Rarotonga 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tijuana
Rarotonga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tijuana vs Rarotonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rarotonga wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Tijuana. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rarotonga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 311% lower in Rarotonga. 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: $868 in Tijuana versus $445 in Rarotonga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,303 per month in Tijuana versus $1,099 in Rarotonga – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Tijuana. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,099 in Rarotonga versus $1,303 in Tijuana, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rarotonga but tight or insufficient in Tijuana. 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, Tijuana and Rarotonga 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 19% less than in Tijuana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.