Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Livingstone

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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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Mexico City $1,548
Livingstone $202

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

Mexico City $2,436
Livingstone $369

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

Mexico City $3,323
Livingstone $536

Mexico City costs about 667% more than Livingstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$7.42 ZMW 148

48.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$29.48 ZMW 586

65.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$8.92 ZMW 177

22.20%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.10 ZMW 101

-27.84%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.34 ZMW 6.67

267.65%

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)

$16.17 MX$299

$20.14 ZMW 401

-19.71%

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)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$2.58 ZMW 51.3

-79.84%

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 Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Livingstone: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Livingstone

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Livingstone

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Livingstone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Livingstone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Livingstone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Livingstone

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Livingstone

–

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

13:40 1:40 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

136,897

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, 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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Mexico City
Livingstone

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 Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $202 in Livingstone. 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.