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: $410 in Zawiya versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $688 in Zawiya versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $965 in Zawiya versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Zawiya costs roughly 72% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zawiya is 69% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 LYD 17.78

$13.18 MX$228

-78.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.48 LYD 118

$53.9 MX$934

-65.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 LYD 23.10

$9.42 MX$163

-61.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.30

Cappuccino

$0.49 LYD 3.10

$3.55 MX$61.5

-86.20%

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

$0.49 LYD 3.12

$1.62 MX$28.03

-69.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 LYD 0.75

$1.11 MX$19.31

-89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 LYD 6.55

$1.70 MX$29.48

-39.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 LYD 1.46

$2.72 MX$47.10

-91.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 LYD 7.86

$1.91 MX$33.13

-35.08%

Eggs

$1.23 LYD 7.85

$2.54 MX$43.94

-51.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 LYD 31.94

$10.03 MX$174

-49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 LYD 20.81

$8.09 MX$140

-59.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 LYD 64.2

$11.62 MX$201

-13.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 LYD 13.11

$2.97 MX$51.4

-30.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 LYD 8.09

$1.81 MX$31.30

-29.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 LYD 5.25

$2.01 MX$34.88

-58.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.52

$2.03 MX$35.26

-72.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 LYD 3.66

$2.12 MX$36.82

-72.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 LYD 1.97

$2.27 MX$39.32

-86.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 LYD 2.43

$1.40 MX$24.26

-72.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 LYD 1.07

$1.13 MX$19.59

-84.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 LYD 4.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 LYD 11.73

$4.27 MX$74.0

-56.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 LYD 5.92

$0.38 MX$6.64

144.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.59 LYD 296

$19.18 MX$332

142.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 LYD 6.11

$1.38 MX$23.84

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 LYD 5.67

$0.28 MX$4.79

217.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 LYD 17.42

$5.45 MX$94.4

-49.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 LYD 0.18

$1.30 MX$22.60

-97.69%

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

$13.7K LYD 87.4K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

-26.44%

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

$16.2K LYD 103.1K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-29.94%

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

$32.55 LYD 207

$40.86 MX$708

-20.34%

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

$6.52 LYD 41.44

$26.81 MX$465

-75.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.02 LYD 89.2

$29.96 MX$519

-53.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.08 LYD 128

$52.0 MX$901

-61.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.48 LYD 28.49

$26.84 MX$465

-83.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LYD 28.93

$6.30 MX$109

-27.78%

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

$53.1 LYD 337

$436 MX$7,558

-87.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$908 LYD 5,772

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-91.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.60 LYD 137

$56.7 MX$982

-61.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 LYD 222

$44.38 MX$769

-21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.97 LYD 203

$103 MX$1,784

-68.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.00 LYD 229

$106 MX$1,829

-65.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$107 LYD 679

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-89.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.1 LYD 440

$631 MX$10.9K

-89.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 LYD 1,280

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-90.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 LYD 863

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-89.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$470 LYD 2,988

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-87.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$38.66 LYD 246

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-98.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$260 LYD 1,653

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-76.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.5

11.34

54.32%

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

Last update for Zawiya: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $107 in Zawiya and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 329% 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: $18.00 in Zawiya vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $114 vs $288 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 258% in total monthly costs ($410 vs $1,467 including rent). Zawiya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 329% less. 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: $107 in Zawiya 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 Zawiya runs roughly 143% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $53.1 in Zawiya versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $410 in Zawiya versus $1,467 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 258% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.