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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,681 in Zadar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,598 in Zadar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $3,515 in Zadar.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 12% less than in Zadar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Zadar 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$16.23 €13.89

-20.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$81.9 €70.1

-35.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$8.34 €7.14

16.55%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.52 €2.16

48.81%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$3.11 €2.66

-49.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$2.07 €1.77

-45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.40 €2.91

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.75 €3.21

24.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.14 €0.98

42.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.37 €1.18

97.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$3.03 €2.59

-37.95%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$4.24 €3.63

-40.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.34 €8.85

-2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$11.65 €9.97

-28.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$11.02 €9.43

8.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.61 €1.38

77.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.55 €1.33

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.16 €1.85

-3.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.55 €2.18

-22.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.49 €1.27

44.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.43 €1.22

52.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.90 €0.77

54.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.18 €1.01

-5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$5.36 €4.59

-21.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.18 €6.15

98.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.38 €1.18

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.41 €1.20

160.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.89 €1.61

-79.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$45.31 €38.79

-58.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.01 €2.58

-53.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.02 €0.87

-70.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$9.20 €7.88

-41.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.78 €1.53

-24.16%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$37.4K €32.0K

-49.56%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$26.6K €22.8K

-13.05%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$190 €162

-78.50%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$23.38 €20.01

17.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$29.78 €25.49

2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$41.42 €35.45

29.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$17.66 €15.12

48.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$16.34 €13.99

-61.63%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$253 €216

72.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,392 €1,192

651.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$105 €90.3

-46.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$38.13 €32.64

17.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$137 €117

-24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$116 €99.6

-7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$697 €597

43.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$627 €537

-1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,282 €1,097

66.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$1,098 €940

12.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$4,794 €4,103

-19.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$4,015 €3,437

-41.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,449 €1,240

-26.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.7

141.28%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zadar: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $697 in Zadar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zadar pays 36% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $82.0 in Zadar. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $264, with Zadar cheaper for home cooking.

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 Zadar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zadar differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,681 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zadar earns 36% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $697 in Zadar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 143% less than in Zadar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $253 in Zadar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,681 in Zadar, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Zadar. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Zadar 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Zadar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.