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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,029 in Ouagadougou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,668 in Ouagadougou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,307 in Ouagadougou.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 43% more expensive than Ouagadougou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Ouagadougou is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.19 F CFA 2,925

153.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$23.37 F CFA 13.2K

130.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.86 F CFA 4,435

19.85%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.80 F CFA 1,017

97.22%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.78 F CFA 443

107.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.58 F CFA 328

91.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.08 F CFA 607

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.81 F CFA 1,020

155.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.79 F CFA 1,575

-39.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.98 F CFA 550

177.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.03 F CFA 578

85.44%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.04 F CFA 1,713

-16.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$17.65 F CFA 9,954

-43.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$21.28 F CFA 12.0K

-61.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.67 F CFA 7,143

-8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.48 F CFA 2,526

-33.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.34 F CFA 756

35.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.02 F CFA 574

97.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.41 F CFA 1,359

-15.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.26 F CFA 1,276

-6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.32 F CFA 742

71.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.84 F CFA 475

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.31 F CFA 737

-13.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$1.73 F CFA 978

146.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.19 F CFA 3,489

151.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.23 F CFA 695

43.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.33 F CFA 1,315

54.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.16 F CFA 90.8

137.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.55 F CFA 311

150.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.56 F CFA 879

-82.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.47 F CFA 832

-11.56%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$37.9K F CFA 21.4M

-50.65%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$36.7K F CFA 20.7M

-36.94%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$126 F CFA 71.3K

-67.67%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$35.94 F CFA 20.3K

-25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$49.09 F CFA 27.7K

-38.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$61.8 F CFA 34.8K

-15.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$8.89 F CFA 5,014

201.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.08 F CFA 5,123

-30.62%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$131 F CFA 73.8K

233.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$17.6K F CFA 9.9M

-40.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$433 F CFA 244.3K

135.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$274 F CFA 154.4K

130.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,271 F CFA 716.6K

68.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$765 F CFA 431.2K

62.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$889 F CFA 501.4K

338.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$266 F CFA 150.0K

676.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$622 F CFA 350.8K

79.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ouagadougou: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $433 in Ouagadougou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 79% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $350, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ouagadougou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ouagadougou differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,029 including rent). Ouagadougou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 79% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $433 in Ouagadougou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $131 in Ouagadougou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ouagadougou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,029 in Ouagadougou versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ouagadougou but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ouagadougou 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.

Expats usually find Ouagadougou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.