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: $1,028 in Harare versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,706 in Harare versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,385 in Harare versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Harare costs roughly 38% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harare is 25% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 ZWL 266

$12.11 MX$205

-17.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.21 ZWL 1,074

$52.2 MX$883

-23.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 ZWL 158

$10.90 MX$184

-45.69%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

$4.05 MX$68.5

-23.95%

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

$0.93 ZWL 24.85

$1.72 MX$29.00

-45.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ZWL 12.98

$1.38 MX$23.29

-64.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ZWL 39.62

$3.47 MX$58.6

-57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

$5.81 MX$98.2

-64.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ZWL 42.62

$1.85 MX$31.33

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ZWL 27.52

$3.22 MX$54.5

-68.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

$2.09 MX$35.25

-21.53%

Eggs

$1.87 ZWL 49.85

$2.91 MX$49.18

-35.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 ZWL 320

$12.49 MX$211

-4.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 ZWL 148

$10.11 MX$171

-45.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.50 ZWL 174

$15.89 MX$269

-59.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 ZWL 84.3

$3.31 MX$56.0

-4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ZWL 42.75

$2.13 MX$35.95

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

$2.19 MX$37.03

-7.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ZWL 38.96

$2.45 MX$41.37

-40.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ZWL 46.35

$2.19 MX$37.00

-21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 ZWL 49.82

$1.90 MX$32.20

-2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ZWL 31.16

$1.62 MX$27.31

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ZWL 26.59

$1.35 MX$22.82

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 ZWL 52.5

$5.43 MX$91.7

-63.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 ZWL 237

$17.59 MX$297

-49.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ZWL 36.54

$2.07 MX$34.96

-33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

$4.75 MX$80.2

-59.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ZWL 27.39

$0.34 MX$5.75

202.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 ZWL 1,611

$21.58 MX$365

179.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 ZWL 109

$2.04 MX$34.49

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

$0.58 MX$9.77

253.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ZWL 131

$5.97 MX$101

-18.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 ZWL 47.90

$1.62 MX$27.31

10.49%

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

$22.4K ZWL 599.2K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

-1.70%

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

$27.4K ZWL 732.1K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

2.77%

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

$54.5 ZWL 1,456

$65.2 MX$1,103

-16.49%

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

$21.79 ZWL 582

$29.87 MX$505

-27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 ZWL 1,803

$36.55 MX$618

84.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 ZWL 1,303

$61.0 MX$1,031

-20.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 ZWL 612

$26.70 MX$451

-14.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 ZWL 270

$6.85 MX$116

47.45%

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

$471 ZWL 12.6K

$453 MX$7,664

3.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,024 ZWL 241.1K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-32.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.01 ZWL 642

$75.0 MX$1,267

-67.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.84 ZWL 557

$55.3 MX$935

-62.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.96 ZWL 1,041

$114 MX$1,920

-65.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 ZWL 1,132

$123 MX$2,073

-65.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 ZWL 10.9K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-63.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ZWL 8,559

$712 MX$12.0K

-55.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 ZWL 22.0K

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-67.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ZWL 19.9K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-43.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$932 ZWL 24.9K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-76.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$385 ZWL 10.3K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-81.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$430 ZWL 11.5K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

-58.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.69

11.3

21.15%

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

Last update for Harare: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $410 in Harare and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 144% 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: $40.00 in Harare vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $345 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, Sport & Entertainment, Clothing & Footwear. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 144% lower in Mexico City. 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: $410 in Harare versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $471 in Harare versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Harare versus $1,646 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 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.