Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $730 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
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Zacatecas Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$730

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Zacatecas versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Zacatecas $730
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Zacatecas versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Zacatecas $1,155
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Zacatecas versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Zacatecas $1,580
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Zacatecas costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zacatecas is 46% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 MX$113

$10.62 MX$198

-42.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.91 MX$595

$48.35 MX$901

-34.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 MX$134

$10.35 MX$193

-30.72%

Cappuccino

$3.01 MX$56.2

$3.69 MX$68.8

-18.43%

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

$1.25 MX$23.33

$1.67 MX$31.07

-25.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 MX$13.37

$1.27 MX$23.59

-43.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$3.19 MX$59.5

-42.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$77.0

$5.31 MX$98.9

-22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$25.17

$1.72 MX$32.15

-21.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$39.99

$3.04 MX$56.7

-29.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MX$28.43

$1.94 MX$36.19

-21.13%

Eggs

$2.21 MX$41.15

$2.89 MX$53.8

-23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.28 MX$136

$10.97 MX$205

-33.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 MX$111

$9.25 MX$172

-35.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 MX$179

$15.13 MX$282

-36.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 MX$33.14

$3.05 MX$56.8

-41.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.65

$1.94 MX$36.19

-18.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.90

$2.03 MX$37.75

-4.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 MX$27.17

$2.31 MX$43.15

-36.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.01

$2.04 MX$37.94

-2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MX$33.00

$1.80 MX$33.55

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 MX$29.48

$1.48 MX$27.58

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.89

$1.27 MX$23.63

-37.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$5.30 MX$98.9

-19.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.27 MX$191

$16.10 MX$300

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$29.78

$1.98 MX$36.97

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$62.5

$4.25 MX$79.3

-21.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.83

$0.31 MX$5.69

70.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.07 MX$299

$19.73 MX$368

-18.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 MX$39.75

$1.84 MX$34.25

15.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 MX$20.67

$0.53 MX$9.94

109.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 MX$177

$5.30 MX$98.7

79.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$27.20

$1.51 MX$28.16

-3.31%

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

$20.9K MX$389.9K

$21.8K MX$405.5K

-3.85%

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

$23.8K MX$443.3K

$24.0K MX$447.1K

-0.86%

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

$22.72 MX$424

$63.0 MX$1,174

-63.93%

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

$7.97 MX$149

$27.39 MX$511

-70.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.73 MX$461

$35.67 MX$665

-30.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.23 MX$452

$58.9 MX$1,099

-58.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.96 MX$148

$23.64 MX$441

-66.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MX$79.1

$6.40 MX$119

-33.75%

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

$235 MX$4,379

$432 MX$8,045

-45.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,243 MX$60.5K

$11.4K MX$212.9K

-71.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.83 MX$836

$68.2 MX$1,272

-34.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MX$749

$53.1 MX$990

-24.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MX$1,690

$108 MX$2,009

-15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.77 MX$797

$117 MX$2,186

-63.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 MX$4,498

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-78.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 MX$3,024

$710 MX$13.2K

-77.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-85.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 MX$4,489

$1,406 MX$26.2K

-82.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 MX$10.5K

$2,135 MX$39.8K

-73.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 MX$7,603

$946 MX$17.6K

-56.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

11.35

-4.85%

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

Last update for Zacatecas: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zacatecas

$224 30.7%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 42.4% $95

Accommodation & Living

Zacatecas

$162 22.2%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 338% $548

Eating Out

Zacatecas

$131 18%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 51.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Zacatecas

$98 13.5%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 58.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zacatecas

$55 7.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 127% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Zacatecas

$33 4.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 119% $39

Getting Around

Zacatecas

$26 3.5%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 1.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Zacatecas and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Zacatecas vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $320 per month, with Zacatecas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

Same time as Zacatecas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,444

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Zacatecas Mexico City 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Zacatecas
Mexico City

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $730 in Zacatecas and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Zacatecas is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Zacatecas. 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: $241 in Zacatecas versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zacatecas runs roughly 19% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $235 in Zacatecas versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $730 in Zacatecas versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.