Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $131 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Zimba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Zimba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $131 in Zimba.

Mexico City $1,548
Zimba $131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $204 in Zimba.

Mexico City $2,436
Zimba $204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $278 in Zimba.

Mexico City $3,323
Zimba $278

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1084% more expensive than in Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Zimba is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$2.93 ZMW 58.3

272.01%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.46 ZMW 29.04

152.05%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.73 ZMW 14.61

123.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.34 ZMW 6.75

267.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$0.77 ZMW 15.31

322.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$1.03 ZMW 20.40

436.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.02 ZMW 20.19

196.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.52 ZMW 30.15

26.32%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.27 ZMW 25.18

114.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$3.56 ZMW 70.8

304.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.79 ZMW 35.54

68.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.52 ZMW 30.19

24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.95 ZMW 58.7

-32.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$0.73 ZMW 14.43

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$0.72 ZMW 14.34

159.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.89 ZMW 17.67

61.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.52 ZMW 10.32

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$5.87 ZMW 117

175.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$0.78 ZMW 15.56

143.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$0.97 ZMW 19.32

335.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

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

$28.58 MX$528

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

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

$427 MX$7,891

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

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: October 20, 2026

Last update for Zimba: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Zimba

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Zimba

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

18:11 6:11 PM

8 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Mexico City Zimba 14,270 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

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Mexico City
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zimba differ by about 1084% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $131 including rent). Zimba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $196 in Zimba 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 237% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $131 in Zimba – a 1084% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $131 in Zimba versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zimba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zimba 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 Zimba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1084% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.