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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,228 in Ouagadougou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,025 in Ouagadougou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,823 in Ouagadougou.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Ouagadougou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Ouagadougou is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$7.41 F CFA 4,188

63.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$26.85 F CFA 15.2K

100.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.56 F CFA 4,274

46.69%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.11 F CFA 1,192

94.31%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.13 F CFA 639

48.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$1.10 F CFA 619

26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.23 F CFA 693

170.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.59 F CFA 1,462

127.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.04 F CFA 1,153

-9.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.13 F CFA 639

180.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.87 F CFA 494

137.93%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.61 F CFA 1,473

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$17.51 F CFA 9,894

-28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$20.94 F CFA 11.8K

-51.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$15.74 F CFA 8,896

2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$4.88 F CFA 2,759

-30.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.47 F CFA 1,963

-38.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$3.88 F CFA 2,193

-37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.59 F CFA 899

33.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.80 F CFA 1,015

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.37 F CFA 772

13.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$1.38 F CFA 780

-1.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$1.39 F CFA 786

315.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$6.23 F CFA 3,519

184.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.45 F CFA 817

42.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.63 F CFA 1,486

75.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.20 F CFA 114

85.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.51 F CFA 288

301.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.88 F CFA 496

-34.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$8.79 F CFA 4,966

-30.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.49 F CFA 844

4.03%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$38.6K F CFA 21.8M

-40.81%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$32.2K F CFA 18.2M

-15.34%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$184 F CFA 103.9K

-63.35%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$26.98 F CFA 15.2K

13.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$55.2 F CFA 31.2K

-32.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$61.8 F CFA 34.9K

-0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$8.68 F CFA 4,907

212.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$6.94 F CFA 3,923

2.45%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$36.13 F CFA 20.4K

1162.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$6,178 F CFA 3.5M

121.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$35.07 F CFA 19.8K

111.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$53.7 F CFA 30.3K

6.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$90.0 F CFA 50.9K

28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$106 F CFA 59.9K

14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$347 F CFA 196.3K

230.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$238 F CFA 134.2K

198.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,398 F CFA 790.2K

84.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$756 F CFA 427.3K

71.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$887 F CFA 501.1K

351.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$261 F CFA 147.5K

715.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$612 F CFA 345.7K

76.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-5.83%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ouagadougou: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $347 in Ouagadougou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 77% 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 $27.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $363, 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,228 including rent). Ouagadougou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $347 in Ouagadougou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $36.13 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 $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,228 in Ouagadougou versus $1,677 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.