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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $886 in Victoria Falls.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,468 in Victoria Falls.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,050 in Victoria Falls.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than in Victoria Falls, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Victoria Falls is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$10.02 ZWL 268

31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$45.70 ZWL 1,221

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$5.82 ZWL 156

-36.43%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.98 ZWL 26.14

63.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.51 ZWL 13.76

119.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.77 ZWL 47.26

77.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.97 ZWL 52.7

-16.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.02 ZWL 27.29

165.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

-6.37%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$3.51 ZWL 93.9

-26.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$2.53 ZWL 67.5

287.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.02 ZWL 161

40.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$7.99 ZWL 213

49.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$3.06 ZWL 81.7

-3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$2.98 ZWL 79.7

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$3.06 ZWL 81.8

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$4.08 ZWL 109

-49.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$1.94 ZWL 51.9

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.98 ZWL 52.8

-29.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$1.48 ZWL 39.56

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$1.35 ZWL 35.95

212.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$19.76 ZWL 528

-11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.85 ZWL 22.80

-58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$1.02 ZWL 27.25

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.84 ZWL 49.16

-26.09%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

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

$40.53 MX$707

$24.64 ZWL 658

64.49%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$25.40 ZWL 679

7.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$68.9 ZWL 1,840

-55.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$59.4 ZWL 1,588

-12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$14.90 ZWL 398

77.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$19.68 ZWL 526

-68.55%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$98.7 ZWL 2,636

330.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$6,018 ZWL 160.8K

78.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$14.89 ZWL 398

291.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$24.84 ZWL 664

79.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$59.0 ZWL 1,577

75.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$44.59 ZWL 1,191

143.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$252 ZWL 6,738

302.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$179 ZWL 4,794

247.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$500 ZWL 13.4K

323.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$351 ZWL 9,373

248.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$804 ZWL 21.5K

30.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Victoria Falls: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $252 in Victoria Falls. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 31% 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 $46.00 in Victoria Falls for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 66% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $886 including rent). Victoria Falls is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $252 in Victoria Falls. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $98.7 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 $46.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $886 in Victoria Falls versus $1,472 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 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.