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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $722 in Ndola versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,700 in Ndola versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,678 in Ndola versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Ndola costs roughly 51% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ndola is 46% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.10 ZMW 127

$13.18 MX$228

-46.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.46 ZMW 437

$53.9 MX$932

-54.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ZMW 65.3

$9.42 MX$163

-61.15%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ZMW 34.61

$3.55 MX$61.4

-45.35%

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

$0.38 ZMW 6.70

$1.62 MX$27.98

-76.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ZMW 3.09

$1.11 MX$19.27

-84.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ZMW 16.76

$3.12 MX$54.0

-69.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ZMW 32.88

$4.63 MX$80.1

-60.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ZMW 22.15

$1.70 MX$29.43

-27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ZMW 14.08

$2.72 MX$47.02

-70.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 ZMW 28.09

$1.91 MX$33.07

-17.80%

Eggs

$1.26 ZMW 22.58

$2.54 MX$43.86

-50.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 ZMW 135

$10.03 MX$174

-24.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ZMW 70.5

$8.09 MX$140

-51.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.69 ZMW 83.8

$11.62 MX$201

-59.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 ZMW 21.87

$2.97 MX$51.3

-58.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ZMW 29.45

$1.81 MX$31.24

-8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ZMW 49.57

$2.01 MX$34.82

38.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ZMW 20.94

$2.03 MX$35.20

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 ZMW 32.20

$2.12 MX$36.75

-15.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ZMW 23.49

$2.27 MX$39.25

-41.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ZMW 16.36

$1.40 MX$24.22

-34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ZMW 9.12

$1.13 MX$19.55

-54.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 ZMW 44.66

$4.27 MX$73.9

-41.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ZMW 194

$15.56 MX$269

-30.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ZMW 20.36

$1.76 MX$30.39

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ZMW 27.88

$3.60 MX$62.2

-56.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 ZMW 9.90

$0.38 MX$6.62

44.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ZMW 32.63

$1.38 MX$23.79

32.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 ZMW 168

$5.45 MX$94.2

73.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ZMW 21.31

$1.30 MX$22.55

-8.46%

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

$8,120 ZMW 144.9K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

-56.55%

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

$28.0K ZMW 500.4K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

21.19%

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

$91.8 ZMW 1,638

$40.86 MX$707

124.65%

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

$36.35 ZMW 649

$26.81 MX$464

35.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$124 ZMW 2,206

$29.96 MX$518

312.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$4.06 ZMW 72.5

$6.30 MX$109

-35.56%

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

$173 ZMW 3,095

$436 MX$7,544

-60.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,711 ZMW 173.3K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-6.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.00 ZMW 339

$56.7 MX$980

-66.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.14 ZMW 306

$44.38 MX$768

-61.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 ZMW 1,510

$103 MX$1,780

-17.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 ZMW 1,307

$106 MX$1,825

-30.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 ZMW 2,253

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-87.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 ZMW 1,953

$631 MX$10.9K

-82.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ZMW 4,753

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-87.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 ZMW 26.4K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

19.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$610 ZMW 10.9K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-45.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

120.46%

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

Last update for Ndola: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $126 in Ndola and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 83% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Ndola vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $288 per month, with Ndola 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

Ndola vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ndola and Mexico City differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($722 vs $1,467 including rent). Ndola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 83% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $126 in Ndola versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in Ndola versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ndola – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $722 in Ndola versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ndola but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ndola 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 Ndola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.