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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $722 in Ndola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,700 in Ndola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,678 in Ndola.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 103% more expensive than Ndola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ndola is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.10 ZMW 127

85.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$24.46 ZMW 437

120.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.66 ZMW 65.3

157.38%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.94 ZMW 34.61

82.99%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.38 ZMW 6.70

326.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.17 ZMW 3.09

552.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.94 ZMW 16.76

231.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.84 ZMW 32.88

151.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.24 ZMW 22.15

37.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.79 ZMW 14.08

244.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.57 ZMW 28.09

21.66%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.26 ZMW 22.58

101.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.55 ZMW 135

32.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.95 ZMW 70.5

104.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$4.69 ZMW 83.8

147.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.23 ZMW 21.87

141.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.65 ZMW 29.45

9.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.78 ZMW 49.57

-27.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.17 ZMW 20.94

73.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.80 ZMW 32.20

17.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.32 ZMW 23.49

71.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.92 ZMW 16.36

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.51 ZMW 9.12

121.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.50 ZMW 44.66

70.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$10.85 ZMW 194

43.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.14 ZMW 20.36

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.56 ZMW 27.88

130.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.55 ZMW 9.90

-30.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.83 ZMW 32.63

-24.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$9.44 ZMW 168

-42.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.19 ZMW 21.31

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$8,120 ZMW 144.9K

130.13%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.0K ZMW 500.4K

-17.49%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$91.8 ZMW 1,638

-55.49%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$36.35 ZMW 649

-26.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$124 ZMW 2,206

-75.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.06 ZMW 72.5

55.17%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$173 ZMW 3,095

151.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$9,711 ZMW 173.3K

7.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$19.00 ZMW 339

198.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$17.14 ZMW 306

158.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$84.6 ZMW 1,510

21.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$73.2 ZMW 1,307

44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$126 ZMW 2,253

709.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$109 ZMW 1,953

476.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$266 ZMW 4,753

702.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,481 ZMW 26.4K

-16.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$610 ZMW 10.9K

82.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-54.64%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ndola: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $126 in Ndola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 83% 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 $24.00 in Ndola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $170 per month, with Ndola 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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ndola differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $722 including rent). Ndola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 83% 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 $126 in Ndola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $173 in Ndola. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ndola – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $722 in Ndola versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ndola but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ndola 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 Ndola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.