Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lusaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusaka: $872 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Lusaka
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Lusaka Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Lusaka

🇿🇲 Zambia

$872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $872 in Lusaka.

Mexico City $1,548
Lusaka $872

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,488 in Lusaka.

Mexico City $2,436
Lusaka $1,488

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,103 in Lusaka.

Mexico City $3,323
Lusaka $2,103

Living in Mexico City is roughly 78% more expensive than in Lusaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Lusaka is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$5.58 ZMW 111

97.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$29.94 ZMW 595

62.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$4.99 ZMW 99.3

118.44%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.84 ZMW 56.5

29.58%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.77 ZMW 15.27

111.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.46 ZMW 9.13

171.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.27 ZMW 25.34

155.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$2.30 ZMW 45.73

140.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.69 ZMW 33.64

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.17 ZMW 23.28

158.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$2.01 ZMW 39.99

-4.48%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.96 ZMW 39.04

39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$10.49 ZMW 209

12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$6.34 ZMW 126

50.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$6.61 ZMW 131

118.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.30 ZMW 65.6

-8.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.45 ZMW 48.81

-22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$3.66 ZMW 72.8

-45.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.57 ZMW 31.27

39.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.52 ZMW 50.1

-23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.79 ZMW 35.66

4.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.12 ZMW 22.24

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.74 ZMW 14.75

71.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.94 ZMW 58.5

77.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$10.09 ZMW 201

60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.42 ZMW 28.21

33.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.32 ZMW 46.18

81.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.97 ZMW 19.35

-64.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$50.0 ZMW 995

-60.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.46 ZMW 48.89

-18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.52 ZMW 30.18

-65.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$4.99 ZMW 99.2

7.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.51 ZMW 29.99

0.66%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$7,644 ZMW 152.0K

188.83%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$27.8K ZMW 553.6K

-11.94%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$81.7 ZMW 1,626

-25.28%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$10.28 ZMW 204

178.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$54.4 ZMW 1,081

-36.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$55.1 ZMW 1,096

2.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$15.21 ZMW 303

63.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$6.03 ZMW 120

10.45%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$139 ZMW 2,774

206.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$16.5K ZMW 328.6K

-29.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$23.04 ZMW 458

194.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$15.19 ZMW 302

242.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$45.38 ZMW 903

133.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$72.9 ZMW 1,450

54.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$380 ZMW 7,564

169.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$177 ZMW 3,513

270.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,067 ZMW 21.2K

116.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$593 ZMW 11.8K

109.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,895 ZMW 37.7K

90.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$5,017 ZMW 99.8K

-61.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$316 ZMW 6,290

204.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-61.03%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Lusaka

$177 20.3% 73% $478

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Lusaka

$238 27.3% 25.3% $80

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Lusaka

$110 12.6% 46.3% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Lusaka

$70 8.1% 53.7% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Lusaka

$146 16.8% 17.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Lusaka

$67 7.7% 3.6% $2.5

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Lusaka

$64 7.3% 150% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $380 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 205% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $30.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $238 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇿🇲 Lusaka

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

16:24 4:24 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,742,979 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Mexico City Lusaka 14,440 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Mexico City
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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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Lusaka differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $872 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $380 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $872 in Lusaka – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 155% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $872 in Lusaka versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.