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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Zatec versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,909 in Zatec versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,546 in Zatec versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Zatec costs roughly 13% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zatec is 5% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.89 Kč 146

$13.07 MX$229

-47.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.94 Kč 401

$53.8 MX$943

-64.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 Kč 196

$9.68 MX$170

-4.55%

Cappuccino

$3.07 Kč 65.0

$3.74 MX$65.6

-17.91%

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

$0.73 Kč 15.39

$1.62 MX$28.34

-54.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 Kč 18.78

$1.16 MX$20.37

-23.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 Kč 48.42

$3.23 MX$56.6

-29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 Kč 55.7

$4.74 MX$83.1

-44.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 Kč 17.32

$1.65 MX$28.89

-50.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 Kč 29.39

$2.75 MX$48.30

-49.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 Kč 45.00

$1.87 MX$32.87

13.90%

Eggs

$2.49 Kč 52.6

$2.50 MX$43.86

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.68 Kč 120

$10.20 MX$179

-44.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 Kč 118

$8.25 MX$145

-32.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.10 Kč 150

$11.82 MX$207

-39.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 Kč 28.38

$3.01 MX$52.8

-55.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 Kč 35.12

$1.81 MX$31.77

-8.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 Kč 44.65

$2.00 MX$35.07

5.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 Kč 84.4

$2.00 MX$35.00

99.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 Kč 19.01

$2.08 MX$36.56

-56.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 Kč 27.97

$2.27 MX$39.85

-41.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 Kč 33.69

$1.46 MX$25.55

8.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Kč 11.21

$1.08 MX$18.88

-50.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 Kč 126

$4.35 MX$76.3

37.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 Kč 123

$16.99 MX$298

-65.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 Kč 18.37

$1.73 MX$30.40

-49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 Kč 37.87

$3.58 MX$62.7

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Kč 6.76

$0.39 MX$6.79

-17.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.10 Kč 553

$18.69 MX$328

39.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 Kč 60.6

$1.33 MX$23.25

115.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 Kč 32.71

$0.28 MX$4.91

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.33 Kč 325

$5.25 MX$92.1

192.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 Kč 36.68

$1.34 MX$23.44

29.10%

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

$27.6K Kč 583.8K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

42.02%

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

$29.7K Kč 628.9K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

24.60%

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

$303 Kč 6,425

$40.69 MX$714

645.61%

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

$25.01 Kč 530

$26.87 MX$471

-6.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.07 Kč 446

$30.51 MX$535

-30.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 Kč 1,144

$52.8 MX$926

2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 Kč 350

$26.65 MX$467

-37.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 Kč 245

$6.51 MX$114

77.57%

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

$439 Kč 9,288

$428 MX$7,508

2.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K Kč 304.2K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

36.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 Kč 1,863

$57.3 MX$1,004

53.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 Kč 855

$45.50 MX$798

-11.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.00 Kč 995

$104 MX$1,825

-54.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 Kč 2,400

$108 MX$1,891

5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 Kč 7,722

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-63.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 Kč 7,001

$623 MX$10.9K

-46.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 Kč 24.6K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-44.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 Kč 18.7K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-27.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,424 Kč 93.7K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

13.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,823 Kč 81.0K

$2,033 MX$35.7K

88.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,155 Kč 24.5K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

11.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.56

11.34

-50.97%

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

Last update for Zatec: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $365 in Zatec and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zatec pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Zatec vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $292 per month, with Zatec cheaper across the board.

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

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

Zatec and Mexico City differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,456 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Zatec, 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: $365 in Zatec versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zatec runs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $439 in Zatec versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Zatec versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zatec but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zatec 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, Zatec 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 Zatec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.