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

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

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

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Harare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$9.95 ZWL 266

21.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$40.21 ZWL 1,074

29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.92 ZWL 158

84.12%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.08 ZWL 82.2

31.49%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.93 ZWL 24.85

84.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.49 ZWL 12.98

181.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$1.48 ZWL 39.62

134.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

183.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.60 ZWL 42.62

15.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.03 ZWL 27.52

212.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.64 ZWL 43.76

27.44%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$1.87 ZWL 49.85

55.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$11.97 ZWL 320

4.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.52 ZWL 148

83.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$6.50 ZWL 174

144.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.15 ZWL 84.3

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.60 ZWL 42.75

33.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.02 ZWL 53.9

8.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.46 ZWL 38.96

67.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.73 ZWL 46.35

26.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.86 ZWL 49.82

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.17 ZWL 31.16

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.00 ZWL 26.59

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$1.96 ZWL 52.5

177.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$8.88 ZWL 237

98.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.37 ZWL 36.54

51.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.94 ZWL 51.7

144.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.03 ZWL 27.39

-66.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$60.3 ZWL 1,611

-64.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$4.08 ZWL 109

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.05 ZWL 54.9

-71.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$4.89 ZWL 131

22.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.79 ZWL 47.90

-9.50%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$22.4K ZWL 599.2K

1.73%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$27.4K ZWL 732.1K

-2.69%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$54.5 ZWL 1,456

19.75%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$21.79 ZWL 582

37.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$67.5 ZWL 1,803

-45.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$48.78 ZWL 1,303

25.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$22.89 ZWL 612

16.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$10.10 ZWL 270

-32.18%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$471 ZWL 12.6K

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$9,024 ZWL 241.1K

48.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$24.01 ZWL 642

212.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$20.84 ZWL 557

165.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$38.96 ZWL 1,041

191.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$42.36 ZWL 1,132

189.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$410 ZWL 10.9K

176.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$320 ZWL 8,559

122.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$823 ZWL 22.0K

212.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$744 ZWL 19.9K

76.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$932 ZWL 24.9K

328.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$385 ZWL 10.3K

443.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$430 ZWL 11.5K

143.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

13.69

-17.46%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Harare: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $410 in Harare. 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $218 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 144% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $410 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $471 in Harare. 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.