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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $871 in Ibb.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,442 in Ibb.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,013 in Ibb.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 89% more expensive than in Ibb, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Ibb is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$6.22 YER 1,473

94.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$24.96 YER 5,909

109.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$12.65 YER 2,994

-13.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 YER 486

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 YER 604

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.07 YER 491

95.65%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.13 YER 269

52.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.54 YER 127

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.08 YER 492

-11.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.02 YER 242

215.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$2.00 YER 473

4.50%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$3.57 YER 844

-18.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$13.97 YER 3,307

-10.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$8.16 YER 1,931

23.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$19.18 YER 4,541

-17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.32 YER 785

-0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.01 YER 240

110.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.17 YER 513

0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.56 YER 368

57.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.47 YER 347

48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.36 YER 321

39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.81 YER 191

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.63 YER 149

114.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.40 YER 805

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 441

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 YER 816

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.96 YER 936

37.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$2.09 YER 494

-2.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$2.58 YER 610

-77.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$7.11 YER 1,683

-16.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$2.10 YER 498

-22.86%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$17.1K YER 4.0M

33.53%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$34.6K YER 8.2M

-22.99%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$64.4 YER 15.3K

1.27%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$16.07 YER 3,804

85.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$28.95 YER 6,854

26.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.07 YER 1,436

12.85%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$24.22 YER 5,734

1772.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$2,128 YER 503.8K

528.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$29.82 YER 7,060

151.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$125 YER 29.5K

-55.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$48.60 YER 11.5K

133.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$40.97 YER 9,699

199.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$312 YER 73.8K

263.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$251 YER 59.5K

183.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$757 YER 179.2K

239.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$624 YER 147.7K

110.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$352 YER 83.3K

197.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.25

0.44%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ibb: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $312 in Ibb. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 197% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Ibb for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $250 per month, with Ibb 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

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

Ibb is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 197% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $312 in Ibb. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,646 per month in Mexico City versus $871 in Ibb – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $871 in Ibb versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ibb but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ibb the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ibb is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Ibb gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.