Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Zacatecas versus $862 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,518 in Zacatecas versus $1,428 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,098 in Zacatecas versus $1,993 in Brasilia.

Living in Zacatecas is roughly 9% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zacatecas 30% lower, Brasilia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.26 MX$108

$7.02 R$35.12

-10.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.34 MX$542

$38.86 R$194

-19.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 MX$123

$6.32 R$31.64

12.82%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MX$51.5

$1.96 R$9.80

52.04%

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

$1.22 MX$21.06

$1.18 R$5.89

3.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MX$12.78

$0.86 R$4.30

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 MX$32.64

$1.85 R$9.28

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.3

$3.18 R$15.89

22.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.22

$0.99 R$4.98

35.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$37.22

$1.60 R$7.99

34.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.73

$1.41 R$7.06

9.93%

Eggs

$2.19 MX$37.93

$2.04 R$10.19

7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 MX$124

$9.45 R$47.31

-24.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 MX$99.1

$3.40 R$17.01

68.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 MX$154

$7.04 R$35.21

26.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.55

$1.96 R$9.82

-12.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.23

$1.40 R$7.02

8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.12

$1.20 R$6.02

55.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MX$24.04

$1.66 R$8.29

-16.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.18

$1.24 R$6.20

40.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.80

$1.31 R$6.53

48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.93

$0.81 R$4.03

64.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.32

$0.63 R$3.15

31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.6

$2.13 R$10.66

97.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 MX$193

$9.02 R$45.16

23.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.10 R$5.53

49.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 MX$57.0

$2.39 R$11.95

38.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.05

$1.03 R$5.15

-49.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 MX$279

$44.41 R$222

-63.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$0.94 R$4.72

119.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.34

$0.81 R$4.03

16.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 MX$199

$5.57 R$27.88

106.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.39

$1.12 R$5.61

15.18%

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

$24.0K MX$415.7K

$25.0K R$125.2K

-3.90%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$29.1K R$145.7K

-18.77%

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

$22.34 MX$386

$72.2 R$361

-69.07%

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

$7.74 MX$134

$13.08 R$65.5

-40.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.97 MX$432

$20.40 R$102

22.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.61 MX$408

$24.97 R$125

-5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.08 MX$140

$21.29 R$107

-62.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 MX$71.1

$7.08 R$35.42

-41.95%

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

$191 MX$3,304

$488 R$2,444

-60.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,154 MX$54.6K

$15.0K R$75.0K

-78.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.97 MX$761

$58.3 R$292

-24.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 MX$727

$41.97 R$210

0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 MX$1,503

$69.8 R$349

24.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.14 MX$729

$65.2 R$327

-35.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 MX$4,151

$408 R$2,040

-41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,796

$260 R$1,302

51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 MX$6,293

$949 R$4,747

-61.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.3K

$562 R$2,811

37.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,540 R$12.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$603 MX$10.4K

$1,714 R$8,576

-64.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 MX$15.7K

$846 R$4,235

7.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.87

-3.29%

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

Last update for Zacatecas: June 1, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Zacatecas and $408 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zacatecas pays 7% 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: $31.00 in Zacatecas vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $183, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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

Zacatecas vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacatecas and Brasilia differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $862 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Zacatecas pays 7% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $240 in Zacatecas versus $408 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $31.00 in Zacatecas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Zacatecas versus $862 in Brasilia – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Brasilia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Zacatecas and Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Zacatecas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.