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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Zawiya versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $654 in Zawiya versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $881 in Zawiya versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Zawiya costs roughly 75% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zawiya is 69% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 LYD 14.53

$12.14 MX$206

-81.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.04 LYD 94.9

$53.9 MX$914

-72.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.54 LYD 16.00

$11.09 MX$188

-77.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 LYD 3.90

Cappuccino

$0.42 LYD 2.63

$4.10 MX$69.5

-89.76%

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

$0.42 LYD 2.64

$1.68 MX$28.53

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.09 LYD 0.57

$1.39 MX$23.55

-93.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 LYD 5.72

$1.85 MX$31.41

-50.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 LYD 1.26

$3.17 MX$53.8

-93.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 LYD 7.05

$2.07 MX$35.13

-45.89%

Eggs

$1.03 LYD 6.48

$2.93 MX$49.67

-64.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.66 LYD 29.43

$12.59 MX$214

-62.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 LYD 20.97

$10.11 MX$172

-67.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 LYD 55.9

$16.09 MX$273

-44.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 LYD 11.70

$3.39 MX$57.5

-45.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 LYD 7.83

$2.08 MX$35.26

-40.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.47

$2.12 MX$35.97

-66.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 LYD 3.32

$2.41 MX$40.95

-78.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 LYD 3.09

$2.13 MX$36.11

-77.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.27 LYD 1.70

$2.01 MX$34.02

-86.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 LYD 1.88

$1.55 MX$26.21

-80.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 LYD 1.13

$1.36 MX$23.15

-86.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 LYD 4.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 LYD 4.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 LYD 5.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 LYD 10.55

$5.77 MX$97.8

-71.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 LYD 4.84

$0.37 MX$6.21

108.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.03 LYD 246

$21.18 MX$359

84.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 LYD 4.92

$2.05 MX$34.84

-61.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 LYD 3.11

$0.58 MX$9.79

-15.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 LYD 15.16

$6.07 MX$103

-60.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.13

$1.55 MX$26.34

-98.71%

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

$15.6K LYD 98.8K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

-31.60%

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

$14.0K LYD 88.5K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-48.50%

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

$93.3 LYD 589

$67.4 MX$1,144

38.42%

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

$5.67 LYD 35.81

$30.62 MX$520

-81.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.23 LYD 77.2

$37.24 MX$632

-67.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.20 LYD 109

$61.5 MX$1,043

-72.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 LYD 24.75

$27.12 MX$460

-85.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.85 LYD 24.32

$7.11 MX$121

-45.85%

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

$52.7 LYD 332

$456 MX$7,739

-88.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$628 LYD 3,966

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-95.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.22 LYD 134

$74.2 MX$1,259

-71.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.59 LYD 111

$57.0 MX$967

-69.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.97 LYD 177

$115 MX$1,958

-75.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.76 LYD 200

$122 MX$2,061

-73.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.1 LYD 575

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-92.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.2 LYD 367

$709 MX$12.0K

-91.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$171 LYD 1,082

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-93.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 LYD 735

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-91.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$469 LYD 2,960

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-88.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$38.80 LYD 245

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-98.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$255 LYD 1,611

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-76.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Zawiya: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $91.1 in Zawiya and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 324% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Zawiya vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $104 vs $345 per month, with Zawiya 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

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

Zawiya and Mexico City differ by about 293% in total monthly costs ($426 vs $1,677 including rent). Zawiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 324% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $91.1 in Zawiya versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zawiya runs roughly 84% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $52.7 in Zawiya versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $426 in Zawiya versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zawiya but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zawiya 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.

Expats usually find Zawiya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 293% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.