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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $410 in Zawiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $688 in Zawiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $965 in Zawiya.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 258% more expensive than Zawiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Zawiya is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.80 LYD 17.78

370.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$18.48 LYD 118

191.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.63 LYD 23.10

159.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.30

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$0.49 LYD 3.10

624.49%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.49 LYD 3.12

230.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.12 LYD 0.75

825.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.03 LYD 6.55

65.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.23 LYD 1.46

1082.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.24 LYD 7.86

54.03%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.23 LYD 7.85

106.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.02 LYD 31.94

99.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.27 LYD 20.81

147.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.09 LYD 64.2

15.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.06 LYD 13.11

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.27 LYD 8.09

42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.83 LYD 5.25

142.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.55 LYD 3.52

269.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.58 LYD 3.66

265.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.31 LYD 1.97

632.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.38 LYD 2.43

268.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.17 LYD 1.07

564.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 LYD 4.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.84 LYD 11.73

132.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.93 LYD 5.92

-59.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$46.59 LYD 296

-58.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.96 LYD 6.11

43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.89 LYD 5.67

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.74 LYD 17.42

98.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.03 LYD 0.18

4233.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$13.7K LYD 87.4K

35.95%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$16.2K LYD 103.1K

42.73%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$32.55 LYD 207

25.53%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$6.52 LYD 41.44

311.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$14.02 LYD 89.2

113.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$20.08 LYD 128

159.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$4.48 LYD 28.49

499.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.55 LYD 28.93

38.46%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$53.1 LYD 337

721.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$908 LYD 5,772

1047.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$21.60 LYD 137

162.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$34.94 LYD 222

27.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$31.97 LYD 203

221.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$36.00 LYD 229

193.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$107 LYD 679

856.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$69.1 LYD 440

812.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$201 LYD 1,280

961.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$136 LYD 863

815.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$470 LYD 2,988

730.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$38.66 LYD 246

5239.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$260 LYD 1,653

329.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

17.5

-35.20%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $107 in Zawiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 329% 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 $18.00 in Zawiya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $114 per month, with Zawiya 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 Zawiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zawiya differ by about 258% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $410 including rent). Zawiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 329% 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 $107 in Zawiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zawiya runs roughly 143% 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 $53.1 in Zawiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $410 in Zawiya versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zawiya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zawiya 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 Zawiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 258% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.