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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 48% more expensive than Harare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.14 ZWL 273

29.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$50.2 ZWL 1,349

7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.03 ZWL 189

34.00%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.89 ZWL 77.8

22.84%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.67 ZWL 17.98

141.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.47 ZWL 12.69

136.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.47 ZWL 39.59

112.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.06 ZWL 55.3

124.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.63 ZWL 43.74

4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.03 ZWL 27.58

164.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.89 ZWL 50.8

1.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.16 ZWL 58.1

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.78 ZWL 290

-6.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.24 ZWL 168

29.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.24 ZWL 168

86.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.97 ZWL 80.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.64 ZWL 44.22

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.28 ZWL 61.4

-11.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.66 ZWL 44.62

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.51 ZWL 40.73

40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.99 ZWL 53.4

14.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.98 ZWL 26.26

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.97 ZWL 26.05

16.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.12 ZWL 30.03

281.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$9.18 ZWL 247

69.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.18 ZWL 31.84

49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.71 ZWL 45.91

110.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.97 ZWL 26.19

-60.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$43.15 ZWL 1,160

-55.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$4.89 ZWL 131

-71.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$2.05 ZWL 55.2

-86.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$4.95 ZWL 133

10.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.57 ZWL 42.20

-17.20%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$19.8K ZWL 531.3K

-5.43%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$23.9K ZWL 641.7K

-3.07%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$58.6 ZWL 1,575

-30.25%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$17.79 ZWL 478

50.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$93.2 ZWL 2,505

-67.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$53.5 ZWL 1,439

-2.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$14.20 ZWL 382

89.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.93 ZWL 267

-36.56%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$283 ZWL 7,611

54.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$7,356 ZWL 197.8K

41.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$19.00 ZWL 511

198.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$21.04 ZWL 566

110.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$34.77 ZWL 935

196.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$40.05 ZWL 1,077

163.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$403 ZWL 10.8K

153.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$280 ZWL 7,538

125.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$941 ZWL 25.3K

126.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$688 ZWL 18.5K

80.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$899 ZWL 24.2K

334.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$390 ZWL 10.5K

429.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$393 ZWL 10.6K

183.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.31

-14.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Harare: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $403 in Harare. 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $50.0 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $219 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

Mexico City vs Harare: 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.

Mexico City pays 183% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $403 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $283 in Harare. 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.