Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abidjan and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Abidjan: $1,216 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Abidjan
Learn more

Abidjan Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Abidjan

🇨🇮 Ivory Coast

$1,216

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abidjan and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abidjan and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,216 in Abidjan versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Abidjan $1,216
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,106 in Abidjan versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Abidjan $2,106
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,995 in Abidjan versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Abidjan $2,995
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Abidjan costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abidjan is 11% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 F CFA 1,545

$10.62 MX$199

-75.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 F CFA 40.5K

$48.35 MX$908

42.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 F CFA 5,962

$10.35 MX$194

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$1.85 F CFA 1,085

$3.69 MX$69.3

-49.86%

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

$0.77 F CFA 451

$1.67 MX$31.29

-53.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 F CFA 450

$1.27 MX$23.76

-39.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 F CFA 591

$3.19 MX$59.9

-68.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 F CFA 969

$5.31 MX$99.6

-68.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 F CFA 1,233

$1.72 MX$32.38

22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 F CFA 295

$3.04 MX$57.1

-83.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 F CFA 699

$1.94 MX$36.44

-38.66%

Eggs

$2.30 F CFA 1,352

$2.89 MX$54.2

-20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.58 F CFA 15.0K

$10.97 MX$206

133.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 F CFA 3,440

$9.25 MX$174

-36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 F CFA 4,209

$15.13 MX$284

-52.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 F CFA 2,634

$3.05 MX$57.2

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 F CFA 624

$1.94 MX$36.45

-45.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 F CFA 1,210

$2.03 MX$38.02

1.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 F CFA 1,407

$2.31 MX$43.46

3.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 F CFA 1,031

$2.04 MX$38.21

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 F CFA 939

$1.80 MX$33.79

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 F CFA 293

$1.48 MX$27.77

-66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 F CFA 489

$1.27 MX$23.80

-34.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 F CFA 979

$5.30 MX$99.6

-68.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 F CFA 3,568

$16.10 MX$302

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 F CFA 613

$1.98 MX$37.23

-47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 F CFA 660

$4.25 MX$79.8

-73.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 F CFA 568

$0.31 MX$5.73

212.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 F CFA 25.5K

$19.73 MX$371

119.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 F CFA 1,014

$1.84 MX$34.50

-5.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

$0.53 MX$10.02

226.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.95 F CFA 15.2K

$5.30 MX$99.4

389.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 F CFA 875

$1.51 MX$28.36

-1.32%

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

$28.5K F CFA 16.8M

$21.8K MX$408.4K

31.11%

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

$26.1K F CFA 15.4M

$24.0K MX$450.3K

8.97%

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

$165 F CFA 96.6K

$63.0 MX$1,182

161.23%

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

$21.65 F CFA 12.7K

$27.39 MX$514

-20.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.20 F CFA 20.7K

$35.67 MX$670

-1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 F CFA 41.5K

$58.9 MX$1,107

19.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.44 F CFA 12.6K

$23.64 MX$444

-9.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.56 F CFA 5,030

$6.40 MX$120

33.75%

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

$362 F CFA 212.6K

$432 MX$8,103

-16.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,715 F CFA 2.8M

$11.4K MX$214.5K

-58.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 F CFA 53.9K

$68.2 MX$1,281

34.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 F CFA 21.8K

$53.1 MX$997

-30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 F CFA 50.1K

$108 MX$2,023

-20.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 F CFA 79.8K

$117 MX$2,202

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 F CFA 487.4K

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-25.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 F CFA 203.6K

$710 MX$13.3K

-51.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,768 F CFA 1.6M

$2,588 MX$48.6K

6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 F CFA 570.7K

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-30.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 F CFA 1.2M

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-43.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$512 F CFA 300.8K

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-76.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 F CFA 126.2K

$946 MX$17.8K

-77.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

11.35

38.77%

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

Last update for Abidjan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Abidjan

$347 28.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 105% $364

Groceries & Markets

Abidjan

$257 21.1%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 24.5% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abidjan

$221 18.2%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 43.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Abidjan

$158 13%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 1.1% $1.7

Eating Out

Abidjan

$88 7.3%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 125% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Abidjan

$88 7.2%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 18.3% $16

Getting Around

Abidjan

$58 4.7%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 55.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Abidjan and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Abidjan vs $48 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $320, with Abidjan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇮 Abidjan

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

6 h behind Abidjan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,567,409

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Abidjan Mexico City 10,340 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Abidjan
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Abidjan is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Abidjan. 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: $830 in Abidjan versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $48 versus $69 in Abidjan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,216 per month in Abidjan versus $1,608 in Mexico City – Abidjan is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,216 in Abidjan versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Abidjan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Abidjan 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.

It comes down to priorities – Abidjan wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.