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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $318 in Zliten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $516 in Zliten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $713 in Zliten.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 356% more expensive than Zliten, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Zliten is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$3.02 LYD 19.18

329.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$14.49 LYD 92.2

261.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$2.49 LYD 15.86

289.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 LYD 4.60

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$0.44 LYD 2.83

752.27%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.42 LYD 2.66

271.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.12 LYD 0.75

866.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$0.85 LYD 5.42

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.21 LYD 1.33

1171.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$0.86 LYD 5.45

119.77%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.26 LYD 8.00

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$4.43 LYD 28.15

126.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$2.84 LYD 18.05

200.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$10.22 LYD 65.0

16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$1.12 LYD 7.14

165.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.21 LYD 7.71

47.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$0.62 LYD 3.93

222.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$0.56 LYD 3.55

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.70 LYD 4.46

208.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$0.51 LYD 3.24

345.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.33 LYD 2.11

324.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.22 LYD 1.40

404.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.27 LYD 8.10

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 LYD 2.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$1.81 LYD 11.50

132.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.20 LYD 1.25

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$8.38 LYD 53.3

129.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.97 LYD 6.14

42.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.83 LYD 5.30

-63.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$3.75 LYD 23.87

43.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$0.03 LYD 0.16

4200.00%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$13.6K LYD 86.5K

38.90%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$15.5K LYD 98.6K

53.42%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$18.69 LYD 119

113.27%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$5.40 LYD 34.33

415.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$23.40 LYD 149

27.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$16.38 LYD 104

217.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$4.53 LYD 28.82

38.41%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$36.92 LYD 235

1071.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$653 LYD 4,155

1513.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$10.99 LYD 69.9

418.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$11.95 LYD 76.0

279.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$41.01 LYD 261

148.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$22.50 LYD 143

382.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$73.5 LYD 467

1251.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$50.2 LYD 319

1128.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$195 LYD 1,238

971.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$90.5 LYD 576

1287.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

12.5

-9.28%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Zliten: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $73.5 in Zliten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Zliten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $102 per month, with Zliten 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 Zliten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zliten differ by about 356% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $318 including rent). Zliten is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $477 in Zliten 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $73.5 in Zliten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zliten runs roughly 129% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $36.92 in Zliten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $318 in Zliten versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zliten but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zliten 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 Zliten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 356% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.