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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $890 in Victoria Falls.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,451 in Victoria Falls.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,013 in Victoria Falls.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than Victoria Falls, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Victoria Falls is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$9.98 ZWL 252

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$44.91 ZWL 1,136

18.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$6.10 ZWL 154

-38.52%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$0.99 ZWL 25.00

58.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.49 ZWL 12.36

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$1.70 ZWL 42.94

87.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.96 ZWL 49.53

-17.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$0.98 ZWL 24.85

176.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$1.94 ZWL 49.13

-3.09%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$3.52 ZWL 89.0

-28.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$2.44 ZWL 61.7

313.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.08 ZWL 154

36.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$8.11 ZWL 205

47.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$3.04 ZWL 76.8

-5.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$3.04 ZWL 76.9

-42.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$3.03 ZWL 76.7

-31.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$4.04 ZWL 102

-51.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$2.06 ZWL 52.0

5.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$1.94 ZWL 49.13

-28.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$1.54 ZWL 38.98

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$1.34 ZWL 33.80

213.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$19.71 ZWL 498

-27.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.89 ZWL 22.54

-56.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$0.99 ZWL 24.92

-69.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.85 ZWL 46.86

-27.03%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

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

$40.82 MX$710

$24.92 ZWL 630

63.80%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$25.48 ZWL 645

7.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$68.4 ZWL 1,730

-55.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$60.8 ZWL 1,538

-12.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

$14.80 ZWL 374

77.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$19.78 ZWL 500

-68.30%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$98.6 ZWL 2,493

342.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$5,919 ZWL 149.7K

76.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$15.09 ZWL 382

276.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$25.33 ZWL 641

76.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$59.6 ZWL 1,508

72.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$44.40 ZWL 1,123

143.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$245 ZWL 6,206

307.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$182 ZWL 4,605

240.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$509 ZWL 12.9K

319.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$344 ZWL 8,698

259.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

$791 ZWL 20.0K

34.93%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Victoria Falls: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $245 in Victoria Falls. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 35% 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: $53 in Mexico City vs $45 in Victoria Falls for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 67% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $890 including rent). Victoria Falls is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 35% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $245 in Victoria Falls. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $98.6 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Victoria Falls versus $1,484 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.