Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $753 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
Learn more

Bulawayo Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $753 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Bulawayo $753

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $1,197 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Bulawayo $1,197

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $1,641 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Bulawayo $1,641

Mexico City costs about 106% more than Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Bulawayo is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$4.38 ZWL 116

151.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$29.55 ZWL 786

64.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$4.92 ZWL 131

121.54%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.07 ZWL 55.0

77.78%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.49 ZWL 13.03

232.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.37 ZWL 9.80

237.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.52 ZWL 40.45

113.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

169.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.68 ZWL 44.60

1.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.02 ZWL 27.25

196.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.55 ZWL 41.16

23.87%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

42.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$9.62 ZWL 256

22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$3.82 ZWL 102

149.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$4.43 ZWL 118

225.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.87 ZWL 49.79

61.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.54 ZWL 41.00

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.48 ZWL 66.1

-19.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.05 ZWL 27.97

108.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.28 ZWL 33.99

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.43 ZWL 38.15

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.14 ZWL 30.26

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.74 ZWL 19.73

71.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$1.54 ZWL 41.08

238.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$4.93 ZWL 131

227.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.40 ZWL 37.30

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

119.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.73 ZWL 19.55

-53.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$30.52 ZWL 812

-35.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.97 ZWL 79.1

-32.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

-73.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$4.86 ZWL 129

9.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.67 ZWL 44.33

-8.98%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$25.0K ZWL 666.5K

-11.85%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$25.2K ZWL 670.4K

-2.72%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$96.0 ZWL 2,553

-36.35%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$17.53 ZWL 467

63.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$107 ZWL 2,854

-67.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$31.10 ZWL 828

81.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$19.78 ZWL 526

25.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$10.18 ZWL 271

-34.58%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$229 ZWL 6,086

86.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$3,517 ZWL 93.6K

230.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$21.08 ZWL 561

221.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$11.71 ZWL 311

343.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$45.35 ZWL 1,207

133.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$59.4 ZWL 1,580

89.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$176 ZWL 4,689

481.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$106 ZWL 2,828

515.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$415 ZWL 11.0K

456.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$315 ZWL 8,376

294.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,134 ZWL 56.8K

69.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$2,002 ZWL 53.3K

-3.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$302 ZWL 8,035

219.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-24.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Bulawayo

$106 14.1% 83.8% $548

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Bulawayo

$177 23.5% 44.4% $141

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Bulawayo

$90 11.9% 56% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Bulawayo

$62 8.2% 59.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Bulawayo

$221 29.3% 77.8% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Bulawayo

$51 6.8% 26.2% $18

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Bulawayo

$46 6.2% 80.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $176 in Bulawayo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 219% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $30.00 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $177 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

19:02 7:02 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

653,337

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Bulawayo 14,570 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Bulawayo

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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $1,130 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulawayo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $753 in Bulawayo. That's a gap of about 106%.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Bulawayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bulawayo, where all-in costs run around $753, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Bulawayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulawayo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bulawayo. 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.