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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,282 in Zatec.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,963 in Zatec.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,644 in Zatec.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 14% more expensive than Zatec, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Zatec is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.91 Kč 144

90.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$18.54 Kč 387

190.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.25 Kč 193

1.84%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$3.00 Kč 62.5

18.33%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.73 Kč 15.20

121.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.97 Kč 20.24

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.28 Kč 47.61

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.50 Kč 52.0

85.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.90 Kč 18.81

88.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.42 Kč 29.58

91.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.11 Kč 43.89

-9.48%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.59 Kč 53.9

-1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.82 Kč 121

72.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.47 Kč 114

47.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.82 Kč 142

70.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$1.34 Kč 27.97

121.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.60 Kč 33.45

13.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.08 Kč 43.30

-3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$4.02 Kč 83.8

-49.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.96 Kč 20.00

120.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.33 Kč 27.70

70.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.63 Kč 33.88

-14.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.52 Kč 10.75

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$6.18 Kč 129

-30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$5.63 Kč 117

176.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$0.93 Kč 19.49

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.87 Kč 39.05

92.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.35 Kč 7.19

8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$25.83 Kč 539

-25.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.85 Kč 59.5

-51.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$1.49 Kč 31.06

-81.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$15.13 Kč 315

-63.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.75 Kč 36.39

-25.71%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$27.9K Kč 581.7K

-33.03%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$29.8K Kč 622.0K

-22.48%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$314 Kč 6,539

-86.97%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$25.02 Kč 522

7.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$20.54 Kč 428

45.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$53.0 Kč 1,104

-1.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$17.03 Kč 355

57.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$11.48 Kč 239

-45.12%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$427 Kč 8,897

2.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$14.5K Kč 302.4K

-28.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$87.3 Kč 1,820

-35.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$40.49 Kč 844

9.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$45.98 Kč 959

123.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$113 Kč 2,352

-6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$360 Kč 7,504

183.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$323 Kč 6,743

95.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,153 Kč 24.0K

85.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$868 Kč 18.1K

43.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$5,310 Kč 110.7K

-26.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,845 Kč 59.3K

-27.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,184 Kč 24.7K

-5.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.56

103.96%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zatec: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $360 in Zatec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zatec pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Zatec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $190 per month, with Zatec 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 Zatec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zatec differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,282 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zatec earns 6% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $360 in Zatec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zatec runs roughly 35% 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 $427 in Zatec. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,282 in Zatec versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zatec but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zatec 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 Zatec 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 Zatec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.