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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $944 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,493 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,042 in Zacatecas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 54% more expensive than in Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Zacatecas is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.02 MX$105

117.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$31.09 MX$541

72.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.28 MX$127

32.97%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.96 MX$51.6

26.35%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.22 MX$21.25

32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.70 MX$12.21

65.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.81 MX$31.45

78.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.79 MX$65.9

25.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.39 MX$24.21

18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.14 MX$37.21

28.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.57 MX$27.26

19.11%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.20 MX$38.31

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.26 MX$126

40.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.89 MX$103

40.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$9.10 MX$158

29.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.74 MX$30.35

72.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.49 MX$25.96

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.78 MX$30.97

12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.43 MX$24.94

39.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.80 MX$31.41

15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.02 MX$35.16

12.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.37 MX$23.82

6.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.75 MX$13.11

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.17 MX$72.6

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$10.90 MX$190

55.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.63 MX$28.32

6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.11 MX$54.1

15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.49 MX$8.48

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$16.10 MX$280

16.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.08 MX$36.19

-36.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.94 MX$16.36

-70.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$11.50 MX$200

-54.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.30 MX$22.70

3.08%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$24.2K MX$422.0K

-19.91%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$23.9K MX$416.8K

-0.44%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$22.53 MX$392

80.60%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.09 MX$141

232.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$25.10 MX$437

21.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$23.52 MX$410

124.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$7.80 MX$136

241.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.15 MX$72.3

56.87%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$191 MX$3,324

124.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$3,190 MX$55.5K

229.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$43.23 MX$753

32.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$42.35 MX$737

7.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$87.9 MX$1,531

18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$42.12 MX$733

155.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$239 MX$4,162

319.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$403 MX$7,013

54.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$366 MX$6,372

476.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$768 MX$13.4K

58.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$590 MX$10.3K

244.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$435 MX$7,577

138.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.48

-1.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $239 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 138% 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 $31.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $221 per month, with Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zacatecas differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $944 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 138% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $239 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zacatecas runs roughly 16% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $191 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $944 in Zacatecas versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.