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: $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Zihuatanejo versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,412 in Zihuatanejo versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Zihuatanejo costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zihuatanejo is 17% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 MX$186

$13.30 MX$230

-19.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 MX$662

$53.8 MX$932

-28.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 MX$134

$9.42 MX$163

-17.94%

Cappuccino

$3.22 MX$55.8

$3.59 MX$62.2

-10.31%

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

$1.23 MX$21.29

$1.62 MX$28.11

-24.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.54

$1.12 MX$19.48

-15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.08

$3.25 MX$56.3

-28.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 MX$65.7

$4.65 MX$80.6

-18.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.01

$1.64 MX$28.35

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 MX$58.9

$2.65 MX$45.98

28.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.94

$1.96 MX$33.97

-20.41%

Eggs

$4.30 MX$74.5

$2.54 MX$44.06

69.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$140

$9.97 MX$173

-18.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$8.39 MX$145

-8.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 MX$186

$11.83 MX$205

-8.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.66

$2.86 MX$49.59

-5.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.73 MX$30.03

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.82

$1.99 MX$34.48

-13.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.71

$2.05 MX$35.49

-19.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.17

$2.06 MX$35.62

-6.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.87

$2.28 MX$39.52

-11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.79

$1.45 MX$25.04

-17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.61

$1.09 MX$18.82

-6.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.6

$4.27 MX$73.9

0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 MX$206

$14.67 MX$254

-18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.11

$1.76 MX$30.56

-10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$49.63

$3.57 MX$61.8

-19.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.19

$0.38 MX$6.66

71.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$324

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.02

$1.39 MX$24.07

91.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.58

$0.30 MX$5.25

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 MX$140

$5.41 MX$93.8

49.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.83

$1.34 MX$23.21

-1.49%

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

$21.1K MX$365.4K

$18.9K MX$326.5K

11.90%

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

$22.2K MX$384.4K

$23.2K MX$401.8K

-4.34%

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

$56.2 MX$973

$40.30 MX$698

39.35%

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

$10.51 MX$182

$27.15 MX$470

-61.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$492

$29.46 MX$510

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 MX$622

$52.7 MX$913

-31.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$270

$26.17 MX$453

-40.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 MX$81.0

$6.18 MX$107

-24.27%

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

$203 MX$3,519

$441 MX$7,633

-53.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,542 MX$61.3K

$10.7K MX$185.3K

-66.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$933

$57.2 MX$991

-5.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$45.04 MX$780

-10.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MX$1,559

$103 MX$1,792

-13.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 MX$1,397

$109 MX$1,883

-25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,885

$1,000 MX$17.3K

-48.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,760

$632 MX$10.9K

-38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$2,141 MX$37.1K

-57.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$13.4K

$1,253 MX$21.7K

-38.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,232 MX$38.7K

$3,745 MX$64.9K

-40.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 MX$22.4K

$2,381 MX$41.2K

-45.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

11.34

1.23%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: April 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Zihuatanejo and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Zihuatanejo vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $286 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,109 vs $1,466 including rent). Zihuatanejo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,663 in Zihuatanejo and $2,199 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: $513 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Zihuatanejo versus $441 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 $38.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,109 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,466 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 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.