Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Zabol

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabol: $518 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Zabol
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Zabol Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Zabol

🇮🇷 Iran

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Zabol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $518 in Zabol.

Mexico City $1,674
Zabol $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $812 in Zabol.

Mexico City $2,606
Zabol $812

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $1,107 in Zabol.

Mexico City $3,537
Zabol $1,107

Living in Mexico City is roughly 223% more expensive than in Zabol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Zabol is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$1.98 $1.98

434.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$978

$15.76 $15.76

229.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$202

$3.98 $3.98

169.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.4

$0.52 $0.52

630.77%

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

$1.61 MX$30.35

$0.51 $0.51

215.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.81

$0.99 $0.99

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$0.70 $0.70

145.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.8

$0.48 $0.48

518.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.24

$2.06 $2.06

-6.31%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.2

$1.24 $1.24

123.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$220

$4.44 $4.44

162.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$3.28 $3.28

189.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$10.19 $10.19

50.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.4

$1.03 $1.03

200.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.90

$1.62 $1.62

20.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.30

$0.81 $0.81

144.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.95

$0.56 $0.56

317.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.08

$0.54 $0.54

274.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.34

$0.50 $0.50

264.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.06

$0.57 $0.57

170.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.70

$0.24 $0.24

445.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$101

$2.48 $2.48

115.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$305

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.74

$0.15 $0.15

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$367

$9.50 $9.50

105.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.08

$0.38 $0.38

405.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.90

$0.29 $0.29

62.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$2.65 $2.65

104.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.92

$0.10 $0.10

1380.00%

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

$21.4K MX$402.2K

$50.2K $50.2K

-57.45%

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

$23.8K MX$447.1K

$46.6K $46.6K

-49.06%

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

$62.0 MX$1,167

$12.87 $12.87

381.66%

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

$28.47 MX$536

$1.53 $1.53

1760.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$642

$3.95 $3.95

763.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,099

$18.26 $18.26

219.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$461

$13.20 $13.20

85.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$1.94 $1.94

239.69%

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

$434 MX$8,172

$107 $107

306.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$264.1K

$2,365 $2,365

493.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,286

$22.98 $22.98

197.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,031

$27.85 $27.85

96.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,086

$98.0 $98.0

13.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,183

$71.0 $71.0

63.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.2K

$285 $285

313.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$213 $213

262.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.4K

$789 $789

225.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$350 $350

305.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.5K

$1,132 $1,132

216.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$533 $533

286.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.9K

$149 $149

572.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

24.3

-53.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zabol: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Zabol

$213 41.1% 72.4% $558

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Zabol

$114 22% 64.8% $210

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Zabol

$40 7.7% 80.1% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Zabol

$99 19.1% 37.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Zabol

$18 3.5% 85.3% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Zabol

$22 4.3% 69% $49

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Zabol

$12 2.3% 52.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $285 in Zabol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 6.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $16 in Zabol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $114 per month, with Zabol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇮🇷 Zabol

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

05:45 5:45 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

140,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Zabol 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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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 Zabol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $518 in Zabol, so Zabol is about 69% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 6.7 times higher, 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $285 in Zabol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zabol runs roughly 51% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $107 in Zabol. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $518 in Zabol versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zabol but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zabol 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 Zabol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.