Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Kabwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabwe: $556 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
Kabwe, Zambia
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
Kabwe
🇿🇲 Zambia
$556
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kabwe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $556 in Kabwe, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • Kabwe $556

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $884 in Kabwe, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • Kabwe $884

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,213 in Kabwe, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • Kabwe $1,213

Mexico City costs about 201% more than Kabwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while Kabwe is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$197
$5.44 ZMW 110
94.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$967
$29.24 ZMW 592
77.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$200
$4.83 ZMW 97.8
122.15%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$70.6
$2.84 ZMW 57.4
33.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.01
$0.75 ZMW 15.19
114.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.55
$0.48 ZMW 9.64
152.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.1
$1.21 ZMW 24.51
162.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$101
$2.24 ZMW 45.36
142.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$31.96
$1.74 ZMW 35.15
-1.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.2
$1.17 ZMW 23.62
153.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$35.84
$1.99 ZMW 40.23
-3.02%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.6
$1.19 ZMW 24.06
132.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$217
$10.03 ZMW 203
16.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$176
$6.30 ZMW 128
50.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$286
$6.60 ZMW 134
132.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$57.8
$3.37 ZMW 68.3
-8.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.49
$0.96 ZMW 19.45
104.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.88
$3.30 ZMW 66.9
-40.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.46
$1.49 ZMW 30.20
57.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.66
$2.47 ZMW 50.0
-18.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.95
$1.82 ZMW 36.75
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$28.74
$1.15 ZMW 23.35
33.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.42
$0.78 ZMW 15.75
67.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$99.6
$2.93 ZMW 59.4
82.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$301
$10.13 ZMW 205
59.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.46
$1.40 ZMW 28.34
40.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.0
$2.30 ZMW 46.49
89.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.67
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$35.68
$2.54 ZMW 51.5
-24.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.80
$1.44 ZMW 29.16
-67.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$101
$4.90 ZMW 99.2
10.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.61
$1.37 ZMW 27.72
8.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$397.7K
$7,496 ZMW 151.8K
185.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$442.1K
$25.1K ZMW 508.0K
-5.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,154
$70.7 ZMW 1,432
-12.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$530
$10.67 ZMW 216
166.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$635
$53.9 ZMW 1,092
-36.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,087
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$456
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$123
$6.00 ZMW 121
9.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,081
$151 ZMW 3,048
188.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$261.2K
$20.0K ZMW 404.1K
-29.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,272
$24.17 ZMW 489
182.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,020
$17.13 ZMW 347
219.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,063
$44.38 ZMW 899
149.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,158
$66.0 ZMW 1,337
75.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$21.9K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$47.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$66.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Kabwe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
29
-60.86%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
Kabwe
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
Kabwe
$223 31% $100
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
Kabwe
$108 46.4% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
Kabwe
$68 56.7% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
Kabwe
$135 8.6% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
Kabwe
$12 * 83.2% $60
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
Kabwe
$9.7 * 61% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $29 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $223 – making Kabwe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇿🇲 Kabwe
🕒 Local time
15:49 3:49 PM
23:49 11:49 PM
8 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
117,517
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 20.25 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.94 USD). 1 EUR = 22.65 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Kabwe 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Kabwe

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 Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or Kabwe?
Mexico City costs about 201% more than Kabwe, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mexico City and in Kabwe?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $834 in Kabwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Mexico City and in Kabwe?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City and $29 in Kabwe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Mexico City or in Kabwe?
Groceries cost about 45% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Mexico City or in Kabwe?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kabwe, where all-in costs run around $556, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Kabwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Mexico City or Kabwe?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $556 in Kabwe to $1,674 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Mexico City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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