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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,201 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,963 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,725 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Zihuatanejo is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$204

$12.01 MX$203

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$881

$44.46 MX$750

17.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$8.38 MX$141

30.07%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.4

$4.13 MX$69.8

-1.94%

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

$1.72 MX$28.95

$1.63 MX$27.51

5.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.25

$1.17 MX$19.79

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.5

$2.82 MX$47.51

23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.1

$4.69 MX$79.2

23.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.28

$1.73 MX$29.18

6.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.4

$2.80 MX$47.18

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.20

$1.59 MX$26.77

31.45%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.10

$2.52 MX$42.49

15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$7.55 MX$127

65.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$7.69 MX$130

31.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$268

$11.38 MX$192

39.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.51 MX$42.35

31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.90

$1.61 MX$27.17

32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.97

$1.91 MX$32.15

14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.31

$1.96 MX$33.15

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.95

$1.82 MX$30.66

20.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.15

$1.80 MX$30.31

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.26

$1.35 MX$22.77

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.78

$1.26 MX$21.20

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.6

$4.59 MX$77.4

18.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$11.92 MX$201

47.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.90

$2.00 MX$33.73

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.1

$3.01 MX$50.8

57.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.72 MX$12.21

-52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.44

$2.52 MX$42.50

-19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$2.08 MX$35.03

-72.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$10.73 MX$181

-44.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.27

$1.44 MX$24.22

12.50%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$19.7K MX$332.8K

15.68%

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

$26.7K MX$450.0K

$27.5K MX$463.9K

-3.00%

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

$65.2 MX$1,101

$61.9 MX$1,044

5.48%

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

$29.87 MX$504

$24.29 MX$410

22.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$617

$32.42 MX$547

12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,030

$33.58 MX$567

81.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$23.82 MX$402

12.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$5.90 MX$99.6

16.10%

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

$453 MX$7,652

$235 MX$3,965

92.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$225.7K

$4,285 MX$72.3K

212.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,265

$53.6 MX$904

39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$933

$45.86 MX$774

20.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,917

$100 MX$1,690

13.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,070

$105 MX$1,770

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.1K

$627 MX$10.6K

80.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$440 MX$7,429

61.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,117 MX$18.8K

130.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.1K

$769 MX$13.0K

70.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.4K

$2,206 MX$37.2K

80.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,158 MX$19.5K

80.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $627 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $266 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,201 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,801 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $627 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $235 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 $44.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,201 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,646 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.