Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Victoria Falls Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Victoria Falls

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $892 in Victoria Falls.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,467 in Victoria Falls.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,041 in Victoria Falls.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than in Victoria Falls, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Victoria Falls is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$10.14 ZWL 270

19.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$45.50 ZWL 1,212

18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$5.93 ZWL 158

-30.86%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.03 ZWL 27.32

63.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.52 ZWL 13.79

167.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$5.09 ZWL 136

-34.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

-9.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.97 ZWL 25.90

226.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.95 ZWL 51.9

6.15%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.67 ZWL 97.8

-20.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$2.55 ZWL 67.9

393.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.83 ZWL 155

73.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.93 ZWL 211

102.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.98 ZWL 79.4

13.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$3.08 ZWL 82.1

-32.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.99 ZWL 79.6

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$4.07 ZWL 108

-40.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

-21.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.54 ZWL 41.11

-11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$3.42 ZWL 91.1

68.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$19.76 ZWL 527

-10.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.95 ZWL 52.1

-81.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.99 ZWL 26.32

-41.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.83 ZWL 48.88

-15.30%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$25.49 ZWL 679

164.46%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$24.79 ZWL 661

23.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$68.5 ZWL 1,826

-45.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$60.8 ZWL 1,621

1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$14.80 ZWL 395

83.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$20.39 ZWL 543

-65.13%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$98.9 ZWL 2,636

361.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,112 ZWL 162.9K

124.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$14.95 ZWL 399

396.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$25.49 ZWL 679

123.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$59.1 ZWL 1,574

95.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$45.68 ZWL 1,217

166.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$247 ZWL 6,586

364.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$178 ZWL 4,756

297.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$497 ZWL 13.3K

418.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$344 ZWL 9,155

276.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$808 ZWL 21.5K

33.94%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Victoria Falls: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $247 in Victoria Falls. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 34% 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 $45.00 in Victoria Falls for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $249 per month, with Victoria Falls 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 Victoria Falls: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Victoria Falls differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $892 including rent). Victoria Falls is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $247 in Victoria Falls. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $98.9 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 $45.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Victoria Falls versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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.

Expats usually find Victoria Falls gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.