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: $986 in Zahlah versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Zahlah versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,227 in Zahlah versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Zahlah costs roughly 41% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zahlah is 28% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 LBP 1.1M

$11.92 MX$206

1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 LBP 5.7M

$51.6 MX$890

23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 LBP 883.7K

$11.41 MX$197

-13.50%

Cappuccino

$4.70 LBP 420.5K

$3.99 MX$68.9

17.79%

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

$2.27 LBP 203.4K

$1.66 MX$28.61

36.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 LBP 74.2K

$1.33 MX$22.87

-37.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 LBP 448.8K

$3.47 MX$59.9

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 LBP 459.9K

$5.90 MX$102

-12.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 LBP 172.7K

$1.88 MX$32.36

2.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 LBP 78.1K

$3.25 MX$56.1

-73.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 LBP 189.3K

$2.16 MX$37.26

-1.85%

Eggs

$3.53 LBP 315.8K

$2.90 MX$49.94

21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 LBP 1.2M

$12.86 MX$222

3.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 LBP 937.3K

$10.05 MX$173

4.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 LBP 1.3M

$15.86 MX$273

-9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 LBP 266.9K

$3.29 MX$56.8

-9.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 152.7K

$2.01 MX$34.60

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 LBP 151.7K

$2.20 MX$37.93

-23.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 LBP 136.0K

$2.36 MX$40.63

-35.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 LBP 126.8K

$2.05 MX$35.43

-30.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 LBP 150.8K

$1.90 MX$32.79

-11.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

$1.61 MX$27.68

-27.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 LBP 61.9K

$1.40 MX$24.09

-50.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 LBP 276.4K

$5.46 MX$94.2

-43.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 LBP 903.7K

$17.65 MX$304

-42.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 LBP 119.7K

$2.06 MX$35.44

-34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 LBP 229.3K

$4.68 MX$80.8

-45.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 LBP 454.4K

$2.10 MX$36.15

141.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 LBP 202.4K

$0.56 MX$9.64

303.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 LBP 2.0M

$5.81 MX$100

283.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LBP 89.4K

$1.61 MX$27.68

-37.89%

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

$53.7K LBP 4.8B

$22.8K MX$393.8K

135.00%

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

$32.6K LBP 2.9B

$26.8K MX$461.2K

21.83%

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

$232 LBP 20.8M

$65.2 MX$1,124

256.32%

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

$23.16 LBP 2.1M

$30.09 MX$519

-23.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.07 LBP 3.4M

$37.18 MX$641

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 LBP 887.0K

$7.04 MX$121

40.77%

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

$688 LBP 61.6M

$465 MX$8,012

48.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K LBP 957.1M

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-19.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

$75.9 MX$1,308

-9.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.59 LBP 4.3M

$56.0 MX$965

-13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$112 MX$1,929

22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 LBP 10.7M

$121 MX$2,078

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-2.65%

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

Last update for Zahlah: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $64.0 in Zahlah vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $345, 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 68% in total monthly costs ($986 vs $1,660 including rent). Zahlah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,479 in Zahlah and $2,489 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 $688 in Zahlah versus $465 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 $64.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Zahlah versus $1,660 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 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.