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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $742 in Ndola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,740 in Ndola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,738 in Ndola.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 96% more expensive than in Ndola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Ndola is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.08 ZMW 129

84.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$25.36 ZMW 462

111.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.68 ZMW 67.0

163.04%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.96 ZMW 35.69

90.82%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.35 ZMW 6.34

362.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.18 ZMW 3.25

544.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.88 ZMW 15.98

267.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.74 ZMW 31.67

172.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.30 ZMW 23.62

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.79 ZMW 14.39

248.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.65 ZMW 29.99

13.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.32 ZMW 24.09

89.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.82 ZMW 142

30.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.95 ZMW 71.9

108.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$4.67 ZMW 85.0

153.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.23 ZMW 22.38

144.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.60 ZMW 29.19

13.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.67 ZMW 48.58

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.17 ZMW 21.31

70.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.82 ZMW 33.14

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.32 ZMW 24.10

71.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.86 ZMW 15.57

69.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.52 ZMW 9.46

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.55 ZMW 46.49

70.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$10.79 ZMW 196

57.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.09 ZMW 19.93

58.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.58 ZMW 28.83

126.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.56 ZMW 10.19

-30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.85 ZMW 33.69

-28.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$9.45 ZMW 172

-44.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.23 ZMW 22.37

8.94%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$7,861 ZMW 143.1K

146.93%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$28.0K ZMW 510.0K

-14.94%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$91.3 ZMW 1,662

-55.44%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$36.46 ZMW 664

-26.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$123 ZMW 2,241

-75.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.25 ZMW 77.3

53.18%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$178 ZMW 3,240

140.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$9,526 ZMW 173.4K

10.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$18.59 ZMW 338

207.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$17.17 ZMW 312

165.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$84.8 ZMW 1,543

22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$73.2 ZMW 1,333

47.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$126 ZMW 2,295

695.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$109 ZMW 1,979

472.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$276 ZMW 5,020

664.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,485 ZMW 27.0K

-17.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$608 ZMW 11.1K

70.64%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ndola: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $126 in Ndola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 71% 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 $25.00 in Ndola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 96% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $742 including rent). Ndola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $126 in Ndola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $178 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 $25.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $742 in Ndola versus $1,456 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 96% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.