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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Wellington versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Wellington versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,751 in Wellington versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Wellington is roughly 60% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 76% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.21

$13.18 MX$228

31.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$143

$53.9 MX$932

56.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.49

$9.42 MX$163

3.72%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.41

$3.55 MX$61.4

7.04%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.40

$1.62 MX$27.98

60.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$1.11 MX$19.27

96.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$11.88

$3.12 MX$54.0

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.59

$4.63 MX$80.1

60.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.15

$1.70 MX$29.43

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.56

$2.72 MX$47.02

-22.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.30

$1.91 MX$33.07

2.09%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.62

$2.54 MX$43.86

170.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$13.73

$10.03 MX$174

-18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$18.67

$8.09 MX$140

36.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.19

$11.62 MX$201

13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.27

$2.97 MX$51.3

5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.78

$1.81 MX$31.24

23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.05

$2.01 MX$34.82

48.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$7.97

$2.03 MX$35.20

132.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$2.12 MX$36.75

-2.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.80

$2.27 MX$39.25

-26.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$1.40 MX$24.22

57.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.17

$1.13 MX$19.55

13.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$45.36

$4.27 MX$73.9

529.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$19.82

$15.56 MX$269

-24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$5.95

$1.76 MX$30.39

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.37

$3.60 MX$62.2

-11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.64

$0.38 MX$6.62

623.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$181

$19.18 MX$332

458.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.50

$1.38 MX$23.79

92.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.13

$0.28 MX$4.78

560.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$102

$5.45 MX$94.2

1007.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.89

$1.30 MX$22.55

31.54%

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

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

79.88%

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

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

6.27%

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

$160 NZ$270

$40.86 MX$707

292.07%

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

$32.55 NZ$55.0

$26.81 MX$464

21.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$87.0

$29.96 MX$518

71.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$62.1

$52.0 MX$900

-29.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$34.78

$26.84 MX$464

-23.25%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.55

$6.30 MX$109

93.17%

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

$800 NZ$1,351

$436 MX$7,544

83.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$124

$56.7 MX$980

29.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$89.7

$44.38 MX$768

19.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$201

$103 MX$1,780

15.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$239

$106 MX$1,825

34.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,261

$1,022 MX$17.7K

31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,865

$631 MX$10.9K

75.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,551

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,188

$1,243 MX$21.5K

51.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

69.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,579

$2,064 MX$35.7K

88.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,161

$1,115 MX$19.3K

174.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

11.34

-38.80%

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

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Wellington and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 174% 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: $85.0 in Wellington vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 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

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

Wellington and Mexico City differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Wellington pays 174% 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: $1,339 in Wellington 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 458% less than in Wellington. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $800 in Wellington 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 $2,354 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Wellington. 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, Wellington 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 60% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.