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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Harare versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Harare versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Harare versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Harare costs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harare is 26% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 ZWL 272

$13.18 MX$228

-23.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.2 ZWL 1,347

$53.9 MX$932

-6.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 ZWL 189

$9.42 MX$163

-25.37%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ZWL 77.7

$3.55 MX$61.4

-18.59%

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

$0.67 ZWL 17.95

$1.62 MX$27.98

-58.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ZWL 12.67

$1.11 MX$19.27

-57.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ZWL 39.53

$3.12 MX$54.0

-52.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ZWL 55.2

$4.63 MX$80.1

-55.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ZWL 43.68

$1.70 MX$29.43

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.54

$2.72 MX$47.02

-62.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ZWL 50.7

$1.91 MX$33.07

-1.05%

Eggs

$2.16 ZWL 58.0

$2.54 MX$43.86

-14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 ZWL 289

$10.03 MX$174

7.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$8.09 MX$140

-22.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.24 ZWL 168

$11.62 MX$201

-46.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ZWL 79.9

$2.97 MX$51.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 44.15

$1.81 MX$31.24

-9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ZWL 61.3

$2.01 MX$34.82

13.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ZWL 44.55

$2.03 MX$35.20

-18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ZWL 40.67

$2.12 MX$36.75

-28.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ZWL 53.3

$2.27 MX$39.25

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ZWL 26.22

$1.40 MX$24.22

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ZWL 26.01

$1.13 MX$19.55

-14.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.12 ZWL 29.98

$4.27 MX$73.9

-73.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 ZWL 247

$15.56 MX$269

-41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 ZWL 31.79

$1.76 MX$30.39

-32.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ZWL 45.84

$3.60 MX$62.2

-52.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ZWL 26.15

$0.38 MX$6.62

155.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.15 ZWL 1,159

$19.18 MX$332

124.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$1.38 MX$23.79

254.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 55.1

$0.28 MX$4.78

632.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 ZWL 133

$5.45 MX$94.2

-9.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ZWL 42.13

$1.30 MX$22.55

20.77%

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

$19.8K ZWL 530.5K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

5.74%

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

$23.9K ZWL 640.7K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

3.17%

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

$58.6 ZWL 1,573

$40.86 MX$707

43.37%

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

$17.79 ZWL 478

$26.81 MX$464

-33.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.2 ZWL 2,501

$29.96 MX$518

210.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ZWL 1,437

$52.0 MX$900

2.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 ZWL 381

$26.84 MX$464

-47.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 ZWL 267

$6.30 MX$109

57.62%

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

$283 ZWL 7,599

$436 MX$7,544

-35.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,356 ZWL 197.5K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-29.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.00 ZWL 510

$56.7 MX$980

-66.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.04 ZWL 565

$44.38 MX$768

-52.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.77 ZWL 934

$103 MX$1,780

-66.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.05 ZWL 1,075

$106 MX$1,825

-62.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ZWL 10.8K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ZWL 7,527

$631 MX$10.9K

-55.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ZWL 25.3K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-55.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 ZWL 18.5K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-44.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$899 ZWL 24.1K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-76.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$390 ZWL 10.5K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-81.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 ZWL 10.6K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-64.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.31

11.34

17.37%

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

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Harare and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 183% 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: $50.0 in Harare vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $288 per month, with Harare 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

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

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mexico City earns 183% less. 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: $403 in Harare versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Harare versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $991 in Harare versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Harare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Harare is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.