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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Zagreb versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,574 in Zagreb versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,409 in Zagreb versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Zagreb is roughly 18% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zagreb 30% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 €10.14

$13.18 MX$228

-10.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €59.5

$53.9 MX$931

28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 €8.17

$9.42 MX$163

0.74%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.09

$3.55 MX$61.3

-31.55%

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

$3.16 €2.72

$1.62 MX$27.95

95.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.11 MX$19.25

112.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$3.12 MX$53.9

17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.63 MX$80.0

0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.70 MX$29.40

-20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.72 MX$46.97

-31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$1.91 MX$33.04

39.27%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.14

$2.54 MX$43.82

43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 €9.37

$10.03 MX$173

8.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 €8.54

$8.09 MX$140

22.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 €10.95

$11.62 MX$201

9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.97 MX$51.3

-36.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.81 MX$31.21

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.01 MX$34.79

-1.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 €2.64

$2.03 MX$35.16

50.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.12 MX$36.71

-32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.27 MX$39.21

-35.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.40 MX$24.20

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.13 MX$19.53

14.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 €4.96

$4.27 MX$73.8

34.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 €8.17

$15.56 MX$269

-39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.76 MX$30.36

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$3.60 MX$62.1

-36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 €0.55

$0.38 MX$6.62

68.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 €49.09

$19.18 MX$331

197.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.38 MX$23.77

65.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.28 MX$4.78

282.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 €8.71

$5.45 MX$94.1

85.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.30 MX$22.53

37.69%

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

$35.1K €30.2K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

87.58%

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

$26.2K €22.5K

$23.1K MX$399.7K

13.17%

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

$208 €179

$40.86 MX$706

407.88%

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

$20.19 €17.38

$26.81 MX$463

-24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.82 €28.25

$29.96 MX$518

9.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €43.61

$52.0 MX$899

-2.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.47 €12.45

$26.84 MX$464

-46.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 €7.62

$6.30 MX$109

40.48%

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

$501 €432

$436 MX$7,536

14.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.4K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

27.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 €84.6

$56.7 MX$979

73.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 €33.95

$44.38 MX$767

-11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €84.5

$103 MX$1,779

-4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €100

$106 MX$1,823

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 €751

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 €570

$631 MX$10.9K

4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 €1,263

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-31.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €929

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-13.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,268 €4,535

$3,903 MX$67.4K

34.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,255 €2,802

$2,064 MX$35.7K

57.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,886 €1,624

$1,115 MX$19.3K

69.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

11.34

-67.20%

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

Last update for Zagreb: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Zagreb and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zagreb pays 69% 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: $69.0 in Zagreb vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $288, with Zagreb 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

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

Zagreb and Mexico City differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,738 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Zagreb pays 69% 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: $873 in Zagreb versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 197% less than in Zagreb. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $501 in Zagreb versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,738 in Zagreb, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Zagreb. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Safety-wise, Zagreb and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Zagreb. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.