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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,718 in Zacapoaxtla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,387 in Zacapoaxtla.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Zacapoaxtla is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$5.14 MX$86.8

136.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$910

$52.1 MX$879

3.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$5.90 MX$99.6

87.97%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.2

$2.10 MX$35.44

95.24%

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

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.02 MX$17.21

64.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.44

$1.38 MX$23.23

0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.2

$1.30 MX$21.96

156.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.3

$2.37 MX$40.00

148.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.26

$1.38 MX$23.31

34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.5

$1.28 MX$21.61

147.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.21 MX$20.45

71.07%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.44

$1.83 MX$30.87

60.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$12.85 MX$217

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$5.02 MX$84.8

101.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$5.33 MX$90.0

201.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.2

$1.71 MX$28.86

98.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.09

$1.39 MX$23.53

49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.80

$0.60 MX$10.16

253.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.76

$0.78 MX$13.19

208.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$0.85 MX$14.34

150.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.86

$1.16 MX$19.60

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.09

$1.08 MX$18.32

43.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.04

$1.04 MX$17.63

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.4

$4.72 MX$79.7

22.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$14.36 MX$242

23.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.20 MX$20.28

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$77.9

$4.80 MX$81.1

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.18

$0.69 MX$11.71

-46.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.68

$1.21 MX$20.50

69.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.74

$0.57 MX$9.69

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.98 MX$101

1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.62 MX$27.38

-4.32%

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

$22.9K MX$386.2K

$15.1K MX$255.4K

51.25%

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

$27.2K MX$459.8K

$27.3K MX$460.1K

-0.07%

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

$67.4 MX$1,138

$46.91 MX$792

43.70%

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

$30.62 MX$517

$29.57 MX$499

3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$629

$34.85 MX$588

6.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,038

$36.66 MX$619

67.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$458

$21.59 MX$365

25.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$7.01 MX$118

1.43%

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

$456 MX$7,703

$469 MX$7,914

-2.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.2K

$5,001 MX$84.4K

173.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,253

$74.5 MX$1,258

-0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$963

$56.2 MX$949

1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,949

$115 MX$1,944

0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,052

$125 MX$2,110

-2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$658 MX$11.1K

74.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$422 MX$7,125

68.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.5K

$1,104 MX$18.6K

133.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$815 MX$13.8K

58.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.6K

$1,942 MX$32.8K

106.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,249 MX$21.1K

70.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

$636 MX$10.7K

70.16%

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 Zacapoaxtla: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $658 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 70% 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 $52.0 in Zacapoaxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $208 per month, with Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zacapoaxtla differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,048 including rent). Zacapoaxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $658 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $469 in Zacapoaxtla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacapoaxtla – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zacapoaxtla but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.