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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,095 in Zahlah versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Zahlah versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,313 in Zahlah versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Zahlah costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zahlah is 18% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 LBP 986.1K

$13.14 MX$227

-16.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 LBP 5.3M

$53.5 MX$926

9.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 LBP 700.0K

$9.33 MX$161

-16.18%

Cappuccino

$3.29 LBP 294.3K

$3.70 MX$64.0

-11.08%

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

$1.63 LBP 145.8K

$1.60 MX$27.76

1.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 LBP 78.0K

$1.12 MX$19.34

-22.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 LBP 319.3K

$3.14 MX$54.3

13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 LBP 181.0K

$4.85 MX$83.9

-58.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 LBP 90.5K

$1.65 MX$28.61

-38.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.3K

$2.71 MX$46.96

-69.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 LBP 162.9K

$1.91 MX$33.03

-4.71%

Eggs

$3.06 LBP 274.1K

$2.59 MX$44.81

18.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 LBP 1.0M

$9.81 MX$170

14.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 LBP 851.2K

$8.43 MX$146

12.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 LBP 1.0M

$11.93 MX$206

-3.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 LBP 154.1K

$2.95 MX$51.1

-41.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 LBP 131.2K

$1.74 MX$30.10

-15.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 LBP 101.2K

$2.04 MX$35.38

-44.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 92.9K

$2.06 MX$35.64

-49.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.9K

$2.15 MX$37.20

-53.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 LBP 90.0K

$2.26 MX$39.02

-55.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 LBP 72.3K

$1.39 MX$23.97

-41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 LBP 49.9K

$1.12 MX$19.31

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 LBP 229.9K

$4.22 MX$73.0

-39.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 LBP 887.3K

$17.51 MX$303

-43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 LBP 113.9K

$1.71 MX$29.58

-25.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 LBP 198.9K

$3.63 MX$62.8

-38.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 LBP 455.2K

$1.38 MX$23.80

268.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 LBP 109.6K

$0.28 MX$4.77

335.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 LBP 1.8M

$5.28 MX$91.3

278.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 LBP 79.2K

$1.36 MX$23.50

-35.29%

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

$34.7K LBP 3.1B

$19.1K MX$330.5K

81.60%

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

$27.9K LBP 2.5B

$23.6K MX$408.4K

18.23%

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

$217 LBP 19.4M

$40.53 MX$701

434.17%

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

$36.97 LBP 3.3M

$27.38 MX$474

35.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 LBP 3.3M

$30.38 MX$526

21.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 LBP 731.0K

$6.19 MX$107

31.99%

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

$300 LBP 26.9M

$425 MX$7,355

-29.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,530 LBP 405.4M

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-57.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 LBP 6.3M

$58.3 MX$1,009

19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.20 LBP 4.0M

$44.57 MX$771

1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 LBP 10.8M

$103 MX$1,791

16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 LBP 8.5M

$109 MX$1,881

-12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 LBP 17.9M

$623 MX$10.8K

-67.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 LBP 35.2M

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-67.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

11.34

-1.59%

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

Last update for Zahlah: July 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $59.0 in Zahlah vs $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $293, with Zahlah 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

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

Zahlah and Mexico City differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,095 vs $1,472 including rent). Zahlah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,642 in Zahlah and $2,208 in Mexico City 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.

Childcare runs $300 in Zahlah versus $425 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 Zahlah – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,095 in Zahlah versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zahlah but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zahlah 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, Zahlah 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 Zahlah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.