Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Maroua

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $348 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $348 in Maroua.

Mexico City $1,608
Maroua $348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $519 in Maroua.

Mexico City $2,549
Maroua $519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $690 in Maroua.

Mexico City $3,490
Maroua $690

Living in Mexico City is roughly 362% more expensive than in Maroua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Maroua is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$906

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.2

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

$1.67 MX$31.23

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.66 FCFA 972

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.0

$0.84 FCFA 489

261.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$2.84 FCFA 1,662

-31.69%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.1

$5.62 FCFA 3,290

-48.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$5.13 FCFA 2,998

113.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$5.24 FCFA 3,064

76.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$3.31 FCFA 1,936

357.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.1

$1.72 FCFA 1,003

77.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.38

$0.87 FCFA 508

122.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.95

$0.87 FCFA 511

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.38

$1.74 FCFA 1,016

32.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.14

$2.60 FCFA 1,519

-21.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.73

$1.71 FCFA 1,000

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.75

$0.82 FCFA 480

54.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.4

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$302

$11.12 FCFA 6,504

44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.16

$0.87 FCFA 511

127.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.7

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

142.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.31

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

$21.8K MX$407.7K

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

$24.0K MX$449.5K

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

$63.0 MX$1,180

$51.6 FCFA 30.2K

22.17%

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

$27.39 MX$513

$8.43 FCFA 4,932

224.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,105

$16.99 FCFA 9,937

246.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$443

$1.69 FCFA 988

1298.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

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

$432 MX$8,088

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,278

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$996

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,020

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,198

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$83.7 FCFA 48.9K

749.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$154 FCFA 89.9K

815.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maroua: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Maroua

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Maroua

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Maroua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Maroua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Maroua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Maroua

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Maroua

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇲 Maroua

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

13:40 1:40 PM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

3,119,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Maroua 12,000 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Maroua

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

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

Maroua is about 78% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $522 in Maroua 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $348 in Maroua – Maroua is about 78% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $348 in Maroua versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maroua but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Maroua 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.