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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $760 in Zacapoaxtla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,213 in Zacapoaxtla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,665 in Zacapoaxtla.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Zacapoaxtla is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$4.37 MX$75.8

204.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$21.29 MX$369

152.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.18 MX$89.9

81.85%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.48 MX$43.00

44.76%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.01 MX$17.43

60.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$1.09 MX$18.86

2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.22 MX$21.15

166.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$2.01 MX$34.86

131.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.30 MX$22.58

26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.39 MX$24.12

90.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.41 MX$24.43

39.01%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$2.39 MX$41.39

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$3.10 MX$53.7

221.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$4.50 MX$78.0

86.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$4.53 MX$78.5

161.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$1.25 MX$21.69

128.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.05 MX$18.15

64.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$0.55 MX$9.61

261.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.02 MX$17.60

100.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.79 MX$13.73

160.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$1.04 MX$17.97

119.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.17 MX$20.22

23.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.98 MX$17.03

11.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.11 MX$71.3

3.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$13.90 MX$241

5.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.13 MX$19.51

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.62 MX$28.01

120.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.74 MX$12.83

-48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

$41.73 MX$723

-55.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$1.37 MX$23.68

1.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$0.28 MX$4.82

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$5.43 MX$94.1

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.29 MX$22.29

3.88%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$13.4K MX$232.5K

40.53%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$23.8K MX$413.2K

-2.70%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$40.87 MX$708

-1.39%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$25.95 MX$450

4.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$30.33 MX$526

-2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$35.37 MX$613

49.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$15.72 MX$272

66.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$2.58 MX$44.70

139.53%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$209 MX$3,630

110.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,545 MX$61.4K

201.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$18.29 MX$317

212.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$24.05 MX$417

87.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$42.29 MX$733

144.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$34.71 MX$601

213.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$481 MX$8,328

108.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$247 MX$4,274

156.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$1,014 MX$17.6K

111.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$581 MX$10.1K

115.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,025 MX$35.1K

84.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,172 MX$20.3K

103.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

$636 MX$11.0K

69.65%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $481 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 in Mexico City vs $21 in Zacapoaxtla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $165 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 93% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $760 including rent). Zacapoaxtla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 70% 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 $481 in Zacapoaxtla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zacapoaxtla runs roughly 123% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $209 in Zacapoaxtla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $760 in Zacapoaxtla versus $1,466 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 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.