Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Victoria Falls

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria Falls: $908 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Victoria Falls

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Victoria Falls

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $908 in Victoria Falls.

Mexico City $1,608
Victoria Falls $908

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,479 in Victoria Falls.

Mexico City $2,549
Victoria Falls $1,479

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,051 in Victoria Falls.

Mexico City $3,490
Victoria Falls $2,051

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than in Victoria Falls, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Victoria Falls is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$10.16 ZWL 270

4.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$45.27 ZWL 1,203

6.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$5.87 ZWL 156

-37.14%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.98 ZWL 26.03

70.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.51 ZWL 13.59

149.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$4.92 ZWL 131

-35.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$2.04 ZWL 54.1

-15.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$1.03 ZWL 27.31

195.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.96 ZWL 52.2

-1.02%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$3.54 ZWL 94.2

-18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$2.47 ZWL 65.7

344.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$6.11 ZWL 162

51.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$7.93 ZWL 211

90.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$3.01 ZWL 80.0

1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$2.99 ZWL 79.3

-35.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.97 ZWL 78.9

-31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$3.88 ZWL 103

-40.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.01 ZWL 53.5

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$1.99 ZWL 52.8

-25.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$1.54 ZWL 40.97

-17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$3.49 ZWL 92.7

51.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$20.32 ZWL 540

-20.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$1.96 ZWL 52.1

-84.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.99 ZWL 26.26

-46.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.83 ZWL 48.72

-17.49%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$25.48 ZWL 677

147.17%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$24.62 ZWL 654

11.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$68.4 ZWL 1,816

-47.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$59.7 ZWL 1,585

-1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$15.03 ZWL 399

57.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$20.10 ZWL 534

-68.16%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$101 ZWL 2,697

325.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$5,959 ZWL 158.3K

91.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$14.75 ZWL 392

362.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$25.41 ZWL 675

109.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$60.7 ZWL 1,612

77.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$45.84 ZWL 1,218

155.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$250 ZWL 6,654

344.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$178 ZWL 4,738

298.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$491 ZWL 13.0K

427.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$348 ZWL 9,258

303.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$808 ZWL 21.5K

17.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Victoria Falls: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Victoria Falls

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Victoria Falls

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Victoria Falls

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Victoria Falls

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Victoria Falls

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Victoria Falls

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Victoria Falls

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $250 in Victoria Falls. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 17% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $45 in Victoria Falls for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $250 per month, with Victoria Falls cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇿🇼 Victoria Falls

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

35,215

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.58 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.38 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Victoria Falls 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Victoria Falls

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 Victoria Falls: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $908 in Victoria Falls, so Victoria Falls is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $250 in Victoria Falls. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $101 in Victoria Falls. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Victoria Falls – a meal for two runs $45 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $908 in Victoria Falls versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Victoria Falls but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Victoria Falls 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.

It comes down to priorities – Victoria Falls wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.