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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,201 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,725 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zihuatanejo is 13% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 MX$203

$12.11 MX$204

-0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.46 MX$750

$52.2 MX$881

-14.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 MX$141

$10.90 MX$184

-23.12%

Cappuccino

$4.13 MX$69.8

$4.05 MX$68.4

1.98%

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

$1.63 MX$27.51

$1.72 MX$28.95

-5.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$19.79

$1.38 MX$23.25

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 MX$47.51

$3.47 MX$58.5

-18.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 MX$79.2

$5.81 MX$98.1

-19.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.18

$1.85 MX$31.28

-6.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 MX$47.18

$3.22 MX$54.4

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MX$26.77

$2.09 MX$35.20

-23.92%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$42.49

$2.91 MX$49.10

-13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 MX$127

$12.49 MX$211

-39.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 MX$130

$10.11 MX$171

-23.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 MX$192

$15.89 MX$268

-28.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 MX$42.35

$3.31 MX$56.0

-24.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.17

$2.13 MX$35.90

-24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.15

$2.19 MX$36.97

-12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.15

$2.45 MX$41.31

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 MX$30.66

$2.19 MX$36.95

-16.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$30.31

$1.90 MX$32.15

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 MX$22.77

$1.62 MX$27.26

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.20

$1.35 MX$22.78

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$77.4

$5.43 MX$91.6

-15.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 MX$201

$17.59 MX$297

-32.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 MX$33.73

$2.07 MX$34.90

-3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MX$50.8

$4.75 MX$80.1

-36.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 MX$12.21

$0.34 MX$5.74

111.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$364

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 MX$42.50

$2.04 MX$34.44

23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 MX$35.03

$0.58 MX$9.75

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.73 MX$181

$5.97 MX$101

79.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.22

$1.62 MX$27.27

-11.11%

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

$19.7K MX$332.8K

$22.8K MX$385.0K

-13.55%

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

$27.5K MX$463.9K

$26.7K MX$450.0K

3.09%

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

$61.9 MX$1,044

$65.2 MX$1,101

-5.20%

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

$24.29 MX$410

$29.87 MX$504

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.42 MX$547

$36.55 MX$617

-11.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.58 MX$567

$61.0 MX$1,030

-44.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.82 MX$402

$26.70 MX$451

-10.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 MX$99.6

$6.85 MX$116

-13.87%

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

$235 MX$3,965

$453 MX$7,652

-48.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,285 MX$72.3K

$13.4K MX$225.7K

-67.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 MX$904

$75.0 MX$1,265

-28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$774

$55.3 MX$933

-17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,690

$114 MX$1,917

-11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,770

$123 MX$2,070

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 MX$10.6K

$1,134 MX$19.1K

-44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 MX$7,429

$712 MX$12.0K

-38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MX$18.8K

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-56.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MX$13.0K

$1,311 MX$22.1K

-41.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,206 MX$37.2K

$3,993 MX$67.4K

-44.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,158 MX$19.5K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-44.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

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 Zihuatanejo: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $627 in Zihuatanejo and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Zihuatanejo vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $345 per month, with Zihuatanejo 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

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

Zihuatanejo and Mexico City differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,201 vs $1,646 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,801 in Zihuatanejo and $2,469 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $627 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 in Zihuatanejo versus $453 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 Zihuatanejo – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,201 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zihuatanejo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zihuatanejo 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, Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.