Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Zahlah

For one person, living is cheaper in Zahlah: $985 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Zahlah
Learn more

Zahlah Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Zahlah

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Zahlah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Zahlah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $985 in Zahlah.

Mexico City $1,608
Zahlah $985

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,588 in Zahlah.

Mexico City $2,549
Zahlah $1,588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,191 in Zahlah.

Mexico City $3,490
Zahlah $2,191

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than in Zahlah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Zahlah is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$12.19 LBP 1.1M

-12.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$908

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

-29.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$9.95 LBP 890.4K

4.02%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.3

$4.45 LBP 398.4K

-17.08%

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

$1.67 MX$31.29

$2.29 LBP 204.9K

-27.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.76

$0.89 LBP 80.0K

42.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.9

$5.13 LBP 459.4K

-37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.6

$4.89 LBP 437.3K

8.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.38

$1.93 LBP 173.0K

-10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

237.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.44

$2.17 LBP 194.5K

-10.60%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.2

$3.65 LBP 326.5K

-20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$11.13 LBP 996.0K

-1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$10.40 LBP 930.4K

-11.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$14.93 LBP 1.3M

1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.2

$3.05 LBP 272.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.45

$1.70 LBP 152.0K

14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.02

$1.61 LBP 144.1K

26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.46

$1.53 LBP 136.9K

50.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.21

$1.21 LBP 108.5K

68.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.79

$1.56 LBP 139.6K

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.77

$1.18 LBP 105.4K

25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.80

$0.68 LBP 61.3K

86.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.6

$3.04 LBP 271.9K

74.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$10.86 LBP 972.1K

48.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.23

$1.27 LBP 113.9K

55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.8

$2.46 LBP 219.9K

72.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.50

$4.87 LBP 435.7K

-62.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.02

$2.20 LBP 196.9K

-75.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.4

$22.80 LBP 2.0M

-76.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.36

$1.06 LBP 94.5K

42.45%

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

$21.8K MX$408.4K

$53.3K LBP 4.8B

-59.20%

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

$24.0K MX$450.3K

$33.3K LBP 3.0B

-27.90%

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

$63.0 MX$1,182

$215 LBP 19.3M

-70.75%

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

$27.39 MX$514

$23.42 LBP 2.1M

16.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$38.29 LBP 3.4M

-6.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,107

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$10.04 LBP 898.4K

-36.25%

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

$432 MX$8,103

$691 LBP 61.8M

-37.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.5K

$10.5K LBP 939.0M

8.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,281

$66.4 LBP 5.9M

2.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$997

$49.10 LBP 4.4M

8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,023

$140 LBP 12.5M

-22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,202

$120 LBP 10.7M

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

3.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zahlah: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Zahlah

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Zahlah

$274 27.8% 14.3% $46

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Zahlah

$229 23.3% 15.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Zahlah

$169 17.2% 8.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Zahlah

$277 28.1% 120% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Zahlah

$20 * 2% 72% $52

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Zahlah

$16 * 1.6% 37.7% $9.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $69 in Zahlah. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $274, with Zahlah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇱🇧 Zahlah

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

16:24 4:24 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

78,145

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Zahlah 12,410 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Zahlah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zahlah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $985 in Zahlah, so Zahlah is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,477 in Zahlah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $691 in Zahlah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $69 in Zahlah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $985 in Zahlah versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zahlah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zahlah 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.