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: $1,085 in Zahlah versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,703 in Zahlah versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,320 in Zahlah versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Zahlah costs roughly 25% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zahlah is 19% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 LBP 974.2K

$12.98 MX$223

-16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 LBP 5.4M

$52.6 MX$903

14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 LBP 723.4K

$9.43 MX$162

-14.32%

Cappuccino

$3.38 LBP 302.6K

$3.57 MX$61.3

-5.32%

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

$1.60 LBP 143.2K

$1.61 MX$27.55

-0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 LBP 82.0K

$1.15 MX$19.81

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 LBP 304.6K

$3.15 MX$54.0

7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 LBP 181.6K

$4.86 MX$83.4

-58.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

$1.70 MX$29.17

-41.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 LBP 76.6K

$2.64 MX$45.23

-67.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 LBP 163.4K

$1.90 MX$32.67

-3.68%

Eggs

$3.10 LBP 277.1K

$2.54 MX$43.62

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 LBP 1.0M

$10.08 MX$173

10.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 LBP 867.0K

$8.29 MX$142

16.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 LBP 1.0M

$11.57 MX$199

-2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 LBP 156.6K

$3.03 MX$52.0

-42.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 LBP 131.1K

$1.71 MX$29.35

-14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 LBP 98.7K

$2.05 MX$35.16

-46.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.5K

$2.06 MX$35.36

-49.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 LBP 83.4K

$2.06 MX$35.43

-54.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 89.0K

$2.17 MX$37.25

-54.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 LBP 74.0K

$1.40 MX$24.08

-40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 LBP 49.6K

$1.12 MX$19.26

-50.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 LBP 227.0K

$4.29 MX$73.7

-40.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 LBP 881.5K

$15.41 MX$265

-36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 LBP 110.6K

$1.67 MX$28.74

-25.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 LBP 200.0K

$3.69 MX$63.3

-39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 LBP 446.5K

$1.38 MX$23.70

261.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 LBP 110.8K

$0.28 MX$4.74

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.16 LBP 1.8M

$5.42 MX$92.9

271.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 LBP 79.1K

$1.28 MX$21.98

-31.25%

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

$35.1K LBP 3.1B

$19.0K MX$325.8K

84.77%

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

$27.5K LBP 2.5B

$23.5K MX$402.7K

17.27%

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

$213 LBP 19.0M

$41.02 MX$704

418.65%

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

$38.04 LBP 3.4M

$26.92 MX$462

41.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.87 LBP 3.4M

$29.69 MX$510

27.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 LBP 713.0K

$6.18 MX$106

28.96%

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

$302 LBP 27.0M

$427 MX$7,331

-29.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,371 LBP 391.2M

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-59.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 LBP 6.3M

$56.8 MX$975

24.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.76 LBP 4.0M

$44.83 MX$769

-0.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 LBP 11.1M

$105 MX$1,794

19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 LBP 8.5M

$106 MX$1,819

-10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 LBP 17.6M

$621 MX$10.7K

-68.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 LBP 36.1M

$1,254 MX$21.5K

-67.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $60.0 in Zahlah vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $288, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,085 vs $1,447 including rent). Zahlah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,628 in Zahlah and $2,171 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 $302 in Zahlah versus $427 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 $1,085 in Zahlah versus $1,447 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 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.