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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $411 in Zagazig.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $657 in Zagazig.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $902 in Zagazig.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 254% more expensive than in Zagazig, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Zagazig is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.99 E£204

227.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$13.07 E£667

311.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.03 E£155

219.47%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$0.83 E£42.15

350.60%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.31 E£15.94

422.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.11 E£5.43

954.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.35 E£69.2

139.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.67 E£136

77.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$0.68 E£34.59

142.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$0.31 E£16.02

787.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$0.58 E£29.49

222.41%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.40 E£71.5

78.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$3.37 E£172

202.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.65 E£186

126.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.41 E£379

59.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.16 E£59.5

159.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.41 E£21.07

341.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$0.31 E£16.00

545.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.22 E£11.00

809.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$0.39 E£19.82

433.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.43 E£22.05

427.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.10 E£5.09

1360.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.18 E£9.24

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.96 E£99.9

121.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.91 E£404

114.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.24 E£63.1

39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.78 E£90.7

101.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.18 E£9.36

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.20 E£10.14

565.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.45 E£23.22

-37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$0.98 E£49.84

435.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.30 E£15.19

346.67%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$35.5K E£1.8M

-45.26%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$29.9K E£1.5M

-20.17%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$16.06 E£820

153.36%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$2.89 E£147

829.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$3.89 E£199

684.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$22.65 E£1,156

133.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$3.51 E£179

85.47%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$93.4 E£4,768

358.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,998 E£102.0K

425.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$20.07 E£1,024

185.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$45.04 E£2,299

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$107 E£5,466

-2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$17.99 E£918

499.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$193 E£9,849

420.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$97.8 E£4,990

537.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$305 E£15.6K

592.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$175 E£8,927

596.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$301 E£15.3K

576.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$160 E£8,148

550.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

16.67

-31.97%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Zagazig: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $193 in Zagazig. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 550% 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 $13.00 in Zagazig for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $109 per month, with Zagazig 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 Zagazig: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zagazig differ by about 254% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $411 including rent). Zagazig is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 550% 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 $193 in Zagazig. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $93.4 in Zagazig. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zagazig – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $411 in Zagazig versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zagazig but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zagazig 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 Zagazig gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.