Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Zabljak Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Zabljak

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,224 in Zabljak.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,851 in Zabljak.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,478 in Zabljak.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 21% more expensive than in Zabljak, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Zabljak is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$7.94 €6.98

65.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$937

$32.23 €28.34

66.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$6.75 €5.93

41.48%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.1

$1.77 €1.56

110.17%

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

$1.57 MX$27.42

$2.20 €1.93

-28.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.22

$1.42 €1.25

-18.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.14 €2.76

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$3.66 €3.21

26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.83

$1.40 €1.23

22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.77

$0.68 €0.60

285.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$1.37 €1.20

37.96%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.40

$3.26 €2.87

-20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$173

$7.34 €6.45

35.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$7.72 €6.79

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$11.95 €10.50

-1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.4

$1.24 €1.09

141.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.48

$1.79 €1.57

0.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.27

$1.68 €1.47

23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.41

$1.54 €1.36

27.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.24

$0.67 €0.59

208.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.04

$0.71 €0.62

205.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.54

$0.91 €0.80

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.80

$1.20 €1.05

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.0

$4.10 €3.61

0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$4.65 €4.09

274.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.31

$1.23 €1.08

36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.8

$1.81 €1.59

101.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

$1.41 €1.24

-73.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

$38.36 €33.72

-51.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.13 €0.99

17.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

$0.64 €0.56

-53.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.4

$17.70 €15.56

-68.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.84

$1.79 €1.58

-26.82%

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

$19.2K MX$335.3K

$29.8K €26.2K

-35.61%

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

$23.7K MX$415.4K

$26.5K €23.3K

-10.51%

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

$41.14 MX$720

$115 €101

-64.32%

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

$27.74 MX$485

$18.73 €16.46

48.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$527

$23.53 €20.68

28.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$940

$45.01 €39.57

19.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

$14.41 €12.67

80.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$5.80 €5.10

11.90%

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

$437 MX$7,638

$412 €362

6.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.9K

$10.0K €8,805

4.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,020

$23.34 €20.52

149.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$802

$28.69 €25.22

59.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,775

$57.5 €50.6

76.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,863

$70.3 €61.8

51.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$718 €631

40.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$534 €469

18.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$1,252 €1,101

71.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$909 €799

37.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.5K

$3,724 €3,273

3.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$2,487 €2,186

-16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

$819 €720

30.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.93

91.23%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Zabljak: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $718 in Zabljak. 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 $32.00 in Zabljak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $208 per month, with Zabljak 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 Zabljak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zabljak differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $1,224 including rent). Zabljak 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $718 in Zabljak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zabljak runs roughly 105% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $412 in Zabljak. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,224 in Zabljak versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zabljak but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zabljak 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Zabljak are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zabljak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.