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: $1,069 in Zahlah versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,668 in Zahlah versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,266 in Zahlah versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Zahlah costs roughly 28% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zahlah is 20% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 LBP 969.9K

$12.98 MX$227

-16.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 LBP 5.4M

$53.1 MX$929

13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 LBP 712.0K

$9.72 MX$170

-18.21%

Cappuccino

$3.26 LBP 292.1K

$3.75 MX$65.6

-13.07%

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

$1.59 LBP 142.1K

$1.57 MX$27.46

1.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 LBP 77.2K

$1.13 MX$19.76

-23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 LBP 317.6K

$3.18 MX$55.7

11.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 LBP 182.1K

$4.66 MX$81.6

-56.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 LBP 90.5K

$1.62 MX$28.37

-37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.4K

$2.71 MX$47.36

-69.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 LBP 159.3K

$1.88 MX$32.89

-5.32%

Eggs

$3.22 LBP 288.3K

$2.51 MX$43.90

28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 LBP 1.0M

$10.08 MX$176

14.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 LBP 870.6K

$8.29 MX$145

17.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 LBP 1.0M

$11.94 MX$209

-4.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 LBP 162.1K

$2.86 MX$50.1

-36.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 LBP 135.6K

$1.75 MX$30.62

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 LBP 98.0K

$2.08 MX$36.48

-47.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.4K

$1.97 MX$34.46

-47.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 LBP 85.5K

$2.16 MX$37.79

-56.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 LBP 90.1K

$2.18 MX$38.16

-53.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 LBP 72.7K

$1.39 MX$24.34

-41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 LBP 46.4K

$1.12 MX$19.69

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 LBP 230.2K

$4.20 MX$73.5

-38.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 LBP 1.0M

$14.25 MX$249

-21.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 LBP 110.9K

$1.76 MX$30.85

-29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 LBP 189.7K

$3.68 MX$64.5

-42.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 LBP 450.1K

$1.39 MX$24.26

261.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 LBP 108.9K

$0.30 MX$5.32

306.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.02 LBP 1.8M

$5.42 MX$94.9

269.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 LBP 83.7K

$1.35 MX$23.63

-30.37%

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

$34.8K LBP 3.1B

$18.9K MX$330.5K

84.17%

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

$27.5K LBP 2.5B

$23.2K MX$405.2K

18.69%

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

$217 LBP 19.4M

$40.82 MX$714

430.92%

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

$37.65 LBP 3.4M

$27.50 MX$481

36.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.82 LBP 3.4M

$30.38 MX$532

24.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$8.08 LBP 723.4K

$6.27 MX$110

28.87%

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

$296 LBP 26.5M

$436 MX$7,632

-32.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,467 LBP 399.8M

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-57.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 LBP 6.3M

$56.8 MX$993

24.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 LBP 4.0M

$44.79 MX$784

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 LBP 11.2M

$103 MX$1,799

21.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.8 LBP 8.3M

$108 MX$1,888

-14.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 LBP 17.8M

$620 MX$10.9K

-67.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 LBP 35.9M

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-67.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $60.0 in Zahlah vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $286, 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,069 vs $1,484 including rent). Zahlah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,604 in Zahlah and $2,225 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 $296 in Zahlah 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 Zahlah – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,069 in Zahlah versus $1,484 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.