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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,947 in Whanganui versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Whanganui versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,958 in Whanganui versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Whanganui is roughly 16% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whanganui 42% above, Mexico City 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.37 NZ$24.12

$11.83 MX$200

21.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 NZ$120

$52.2 MX$884

37.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 NZ$14.91

$10.87 MX$184

-18.31%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$5.81

$4.03 MX$68.2

-14.14%

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

$2.33 NZ$3.91

$1.71 MX$28.99

36.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 NZ$3.21

$1.34 MX$22.70

42.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 NZ$9.75

$3.39 MX$57.5

71.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 NZ$9.59

$5.74 MX$97.3

-0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 NZ$2.28

$1.89 MX$31.99

-28.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 NZ$1.69

$3.17 MX$53.8

-68.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 NZ$1.94

$2.05 MX$34.74

-43.90%

Eggs

$5.78 NZ$9.70

$3.01 MX$51.1

92.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 NZ$10.01

$12.61 MX$214

-52.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.25

$9.94 MX$169

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 NZ$26.86

$16.00 MX$271

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$3.91

$3.28 MX$55.6

-28.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.34

$2.06 MX$34.87

-3.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.32

$2.09 MX$35.36

-5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 NZ$5.98

$2.50 MX$42.44

42.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$2.99

$2.05 MX$34.76

-13.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 NZ$2.15

$1.87 MX$31.70

-31.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 NZ$3.61

$1.57 MX$26.66

36.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.92

$1.39 MX$23.64

-60.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.28 NZ$40.77

$5.38 MX$91.2

351.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 NZ$17.27

$17.95 MX$304

-42.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 NZ$4.56

$2.02 MX$34.31

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NZ$3.86

$4.76 MX$80.7

-51.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 NZ$2.79

$0.36 MX$6.13

361.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 NZ$135

$20.80 MX$353

285.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 NZ$3.35

$2.06 MX$34.92

-2.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.25

$0.56 MX$9.55

244.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.12 NZ$59.0

$5.82 MX$98.6

503.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 NZ$2.68

$1.54 MX$26.05

3.25%

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

$26.2K NZ$44.0K

$22.5K MX$380.6K

16.72%

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

$26.5K NZ$44.5K

$26.5K MX$448.7K

0.09%

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

$207 NZ$347

$66.0 MX$1,118

213.58%

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

$32.26 NZ$54.2

$30.98 MX$525

4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 NZ$85.3

$36.20 MX$613

40.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.90 NZ$67.0

$57.5 MX$975

-30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 NZ$9.66

$7.13 MX$121

-19.35%

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

$1,117 NZ$1,875

$457 MX$7,738

144.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$22.8K

$13.2K MX$224.5K

2.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 NZ$138

$75.8 MX$1,285

8.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.68 NZ$49.85

$54.1 MX$917

-45.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NZ$182

$116 MX$1,974

-6.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NZ$266

$122 MX$2,063

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 NZ$1,576

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 NZ$1,431

$726 MX$12.3K

17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NZ$2,573

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 NZ$2,396

$1,331 MX$22.6K

7.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,428 NZ$9,116

$3,895 MX$66.0K

39.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,954 NZ$6,640

$2,149 MX$36.4K

83.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.35

-52.51%

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

Last update for Whanganui: August 16, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Whanganui and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $72.0 in Whanganui vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $344, with Whanganui cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Whanganui and Mexico City differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,947 vs $1,682 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,920 in Whanganui and $2,523 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $938 in Whanganui versus $1,147 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 286% less than in Whanganui. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,117 in Whanganui versus $457 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,682 in Mexico City versus $1,947 in Whanganui, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Whanganui. 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, Whanganui 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 16% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.