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: $1,282 in Zatec versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Zatec versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,644 in Zatec versus $3,274 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 4% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 Kč 144

$13.18 MX$228

-47.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.54 Kč 387

$53.9 MX$934

-65.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 Kč 193

$9.42 MX$163

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$3.00 Kč 62.5

$3.55 MX$61.5

-15.49%

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

$0.73 Kč 15.20

$1.62 MX$28.03

-54.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 Kč 20.24

$1.11 MX$19.31

-12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 Kč 47.61

$3.12 MX$54.1

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 Kč 52.0

$4.63 MX$80.2

-46.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 Kč 18.81

$1.70 MX$29.48

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 Kč 29.58

$2.72 MX$47.10

-47.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 Kč 43.89

$1.91 MX$33.13

10.47%

Eggs

$2.59 Kč 53.9

$2.54 MX$43.94

1.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 Kč 121

$10.03 MX$174

-41.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 Kč 114

$8.09 MX$140

-32.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 Kč 142

$11.62 MX$201

-41.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 Kč 27.97

$2.97 MX$51.4

-54.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 Kč 33.45

$1.81 MX$31.30

-11.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 Kč 43.30

$2.01 MX$34.88

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 Kč 83.8

$2.03 MX$35.26

98.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Kč 20.00

$2.12 MX$36.82

-54.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 Kč 27.70

$2.27 MX$39.32

-41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 Kč 33.88

$1.40 MX$24.26

16.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Kč 10.75

$1.13 MX$19.59

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 Kč 129

$4.27 MX$74.0

44.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 Kč 117

$15.56 MX$270

-63.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 Kč 19.49

$1.76 MX$30.44

-47.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Kč 39.05

$3.60 MX$62.3

-48.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 Kč 7.19

$0.38 MX$6.64

-7.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.83 Kč 539

$19.18 MX$332

34.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 Kč 59.5

$1.38 MX$23.84

106.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 Kč 31.06

$0.28 MX$4.79

432.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.13 Kč 315

$5.45 MX$94.4

177.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 Kč 36.39

$1.30 MX$22.60

34.62%

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

$27.9K Kč 581.7K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

49.31%

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

$29.8K Kč 622.0K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

28.99%

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

$314 Kč 6,539

$40.86 MX$708

667.67%

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

$25.02 Kč 522

$26.81 MX$465

-6.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.54 Kč 428

$29.96 MX$519

-31.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 Kč 1,104

$52.0 MX$901

1.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 Kč 355

$26.84 MX$465

-36.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 Kč 239

$6.30 MX$109

82.22%

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

$427 Kč 8,897

$436 MX$7,558

-2.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K Kč 302.4K

$10.4K MX$180.5K

39.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 Kč 1,820

$56.7 MX$982

54.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 Kč 844

$44.38 MX$769

-8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.98 Kč 959

$103 MX$1,784

-55.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 Kč 2,352

$106 MX$1,829

6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 Kč 7,504

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-64.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 Kč 6,743

$631 MX$10.9K

-48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 Kč 24.0K

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 Kč 18.1K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-30.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,310 Kč 110.7K

$3,903 MX$67.6K

36.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,845 Kč 59.3K

$2,064 MX$35.8K

37.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,184 Kč 24.7K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

6.17%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Zatec and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zatec pays 6% 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 $190 vs $288 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,282 vs $1,467 including rent). Zatec is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Zatec pays 6% more on average, 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: $360 in Zatec versus $1,022 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Zatec versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,282 in Zatec versus $1,467 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 14% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.