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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $938 in Zacatecas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,518 in Zacatecas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,098 in Zacatecas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 56% more expensive than Zacatecas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Zacatecas is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.26 MX$109

110.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$31.34 MX$543

71.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.13 MX$124

32.12%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.98 MX$51.6

19.13%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.22 MX$21.10

32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.74 MX$12.80

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.89 MX$32.70

65.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.89 MX$67.4

19.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.34 MX$23.26

26.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.15 MX$37.29

26.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.55 MX$26.78

23.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.19 MX$38.00

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.15 MX$124

40.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.73 MX$99.2

41.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.91 MX$154

30.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.71 MX$29.61

73.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.52 MX$26.28

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$1.86 MX$32.18

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.39 MX$24.09

46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.74 MX$30.24

21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.95 MX$33.86

16.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.33 MX$22.97

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.83 MX$14.34

36.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.20 MX$72.7

1.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$11.13 MX$193

39.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.64 MX$28.37

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$3.30 MX$57.1

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.52 MX$9.07

-26.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$16.12 MX$279

18.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.06 MX$35.75

-33.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.94 MX$16.37

-70.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$11.49 MX$199

-52.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.29 MX$22.43

0.78%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$24.0K MX$416.5K

-22.25%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$23.6K MX$409.8K

-2.19%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$22.34 MX$387

82.90%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$7.74 MX$134

246.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$24.97 MX$433

19.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$23.61 MX$409

120.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$8.08 MX$140

232.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.11 MX$71.2

53.28%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$191 MX$3,311

128.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,154 MX$54.7K

230.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$43.97 MX$762

28.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$42.04 MX$729

5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$86.9 MX$1,506

18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$42.14 MX$730

150.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$240 MX$4,158

325.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$393 MX$6,809

60.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$364 MX$6,305

487.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$770 MX$13.3K

61.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$603 MX$10.4K

242.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$910 MX$15.8K

22.59%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $240 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 23% 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 $288 vs $220 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 56% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $938 including rent). Zacatecas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 23% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $240 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 19% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 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 $938 in Zacatecas versus $1,467 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 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.