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: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Zihuatanejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,766 in Zihuatanejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $2,439 in Zihuatanejo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 36% more expensive than in Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Zihuatanejo is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$229

$10.49 MX$183

25.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$932

$39.79 MX$692

34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$166

$7.95 MX$138

20.13%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$64.8

$3.25 MX$56.5

14.46%

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

$1.57 MX$27.28

$1.23 MX$21.39

27.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.12

$0.92 MX$16.09

26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.4

$2.34 MX$40.66

35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.6

$3.83 MX$66.6

20.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.50 MX$26.02

14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.54

$3.46 MX$60.3

-24.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.87

$1.55 MX$26.99

21.94%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.17

$4.14 MX$72.0

-37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$172

$8.27 MX$144

19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$7.91 MX$138

3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$205

$10.70 MX$186

10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.1

$2.66 MX$46.30

12.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.32

$1.43 MX$24.93

25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.08

$1.72 MX$29.90

20.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.67 MX$29.02

17.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.05

$1.92 MX$33.47

7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$1.99 MX$34.54

9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.41

$1.21 MX$21.02

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.99 MX$17.20

8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.7

$4.11 MX$71.5

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$303

$12.12 MX$211

43.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.16

$1.60 MX$27.87

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.5

$2.75 MX$47.80

32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.61 MX$10.66

-37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.13

$2.60 MX$45.30

-48.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.27

$1.61 MX$28.07

-81.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$95.9

$8.28 MX$144

-33.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.31 MX$22.71

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

$19.2K MX$333.5K

$21.4K MX$372.5K

-10.45%

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

$23.7K MX$413.3K

$22.2K MX$386.8K

6.84%

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

$41.14 MX$716

$56.7 MX$986

-27.42%

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

$27.74 MX$483

$10.51 MX$183

163.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$524

$27.64 MX$481

9.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$935

$36.23 MX$630

48.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$452

$15.57 MX$271

66.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$113

$4.69 MX$81.5

38.38%

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

$437 MX$7,598

$207 MX$3,599

111.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.0K

$3,567 MX$62.1K

193.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,015

$52.7 MX$917

10.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$798

$40.25 MX$700

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,765

$90.7 MX$1,579

11.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,854

$80.7 MX$1,404

32.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.5K

$505 MX$8,783

99.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.0K

$395 MX$6,874

60.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.4K

$925 MX$16.1K

132.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.7K

$754 MX$13.1K

65.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.2K

$1,701 MX$29.6K

126.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.3K

$1,312 MX$22.8K

58.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $505 in Zihuatanejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Zihuatanejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $270 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $1,093 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,639 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $505 in Zihuatanejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $207 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 $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,093 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,481 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.