Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $202 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$202

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Livingstone and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $202 per month in Livingstone vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Livingstone $202
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $369 per month in Livingstone vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Livingstone $369
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $536 per month in Livingstone vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Livingstone $536
Mexico City $3,323

Livingstone is about 87% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Livingstone sits 85% below the global median, while Mexico City is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.42 ZMW 148

$11.02 MX$204

-32.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.48 ZMW 586

$48.68 MX$900

-39.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 ZMW 177

$10.90 MX$201

-18.17%

Cappuccino

$5.10 ZMW 101

$3.68 MX$68.1

38.59%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.67

$1.25 MX$23.07

-72.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$20.14 ZMW 401

$16.17 MX$299

24.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 ZMW 51.3

$0.52 MX$9.67

396.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Livingstone: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Livingstone

–

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Mexico City

$124 8%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Livingstone versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $40.00 vs $318 – making Livingstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

04:51 4:51 AM

8 h behind Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Livingstone Mexico City 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Livingstone
Mexico City

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $202 in Livingstone, $1,548 in Mexico City – roughly 667% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $303 per month in Livingstone and $2,322 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Livingstone and $49.00 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $202 in Livingstone and $1,548 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 667%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Livingstone, where all-in costs run around $202, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Livingstone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $202 in Livingstone to $1,548 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Livingstone. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.