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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $1,109 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,760 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $2,412 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Zihuatanejo is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$10.72 MX$186

24.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$932

$38.23 MX$663

40.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.73 MX$134

21.86%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$3.22 MX$55.8

11.49%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.23 MX$21.30

31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.95 MX$16.55

17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.31 MX$40.11

40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.6

$3.79 MX$65.7

22.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$1.44 MX$25.03

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$3.40 MX$59.0

-22.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.99

$1.56 MX$26.95

25.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.08

$4.30 MX$74.5

-40.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$8.11 MX$141

22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$145

$7.67 MX$133

9.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$205

$10.77 MX$187

9.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.62

$2.69 MX$46.69

6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.38 MX$23.92

25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.50

$1.72 MX$29.84

15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.51

$1.66 MX$28.72

23.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.92 MX$33.19

7.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.54

$2.01 MX$34.89

13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.20 MX$20.81

20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$1.02 MX$17.62

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.30 MX$74.6

-0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$254

$11.89 MX$206

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.58

$1.57 MX$27.12

12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$61.8

$2.87 MX$49.66

24.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

$0.65 MX$11.20

-41.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$2.66 MX$46.05

-47.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.26

$1.53 MX$26.60

-80.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$93.8

$8.08 MX$140

-33.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$1.32 MX$22.84

1.52%

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

$18.9K MX$326.7K

$21.1K MX$365.6K

-10.64%

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

$23.2K MX$402.0K

$22.2K MX$384.6K

4.54%

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

$40.30 MX$698

$56.2 MX$973

-28.24%

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

$27.15 MX$471

$10.51 MX$182

158.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$510

$28.40 MX$492

3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$914

$35.91 MX$622

46.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$454

$15.58 MX$270

67.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$4.68 MX$81.1

32.05%

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

$441 MX$7,637

$203 MX$3,521

116.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.4K

$3,542 MX$61.4K

202.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$992

$53.9 MX$934

6.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$781

$40.13 MX$695

12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$90.0 MX$1,560

14.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$80.7 MX$1,398

34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.3K

$513 MX$8,890

94.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$390 MX$6,764

61.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.1K

$917 MX$15.9K

133.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$771 MX$13.4K

62.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$64.9K

$2,232 MX$38.7K

67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.3K

$1,294 MX$22.4K

83.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.48

-1.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $513 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $38 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $268 per month, with Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zihuatanejo differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,466 vs $1,109 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,663 in Zihuatanejo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $513 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Mexico City versus $203 in Zihuatanejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zihuatanejo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.