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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,005 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,599 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,193 in Sanaa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than in Sanaa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Sanaa is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$6.46 YER 1,530

87.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$25.12 YER 5,946

114.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$9.64 YER 2,281

15.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 YER 465

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 YER 586

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.61 YER 856

13.57%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.12 YER 266

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.60 YER 141

131.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.05 YER 486

-9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.64 YER 387

93.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.97 YER 468

5.08%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$3.60 YER 852

-18.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$16.98 YER 4,021

-25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$8.48 YER 2,007

19.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$18.75 YER 4,440

-14.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.38 YER 799

0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.00 YER 237

108.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.14 YER 506

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.71 YER 405

40.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.47 YER 347

44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.30 YER 309

54.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.21 YER 286

28.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.65 YER 153

109.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 YER 784

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 YER 422

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 YER 807

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$5.43 YER 1,285

6.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.43 YER 102

-13.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$83.6 YER 19.8K

-74.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$4.33 YER 1,024

-52.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$2.13 YER 505

-72.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$7.30 YER 1,727

-16.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$2.04 YER 484

-24.02%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$17.1K YER 4.0M

34.08%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$35.0K YER 8.3M

-22.19%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$107 YER 25.2K

-36.78%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$23.72 YER 5,616

29.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$100 YER 23.8K

-62.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$66.0 YER 15.6K

-6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$16.07 YER 3,803

68.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.76 YER 1,363

23.44%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$116 YER 27.5K

292.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$2,179 YER 515.9K

528.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$41.89 YER 9,918

77.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$122 YER 28.9K

-53.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$47.41 YER 11.2K

143.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$40.60 YER 9,612

199.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$222 YER 52.5K

417.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$94.1 YER 22.3K

654.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$401 YER 94.8K

543.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$275 YER 65.2K

370.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$4,158 YER 984.4K

-3.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$803 YER 190.1K

165.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$195 YER 46.1K

455.98%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $222 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 456% 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 $25.00 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $268 per month, with Sanaa 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 Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Sanaa differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,005 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 456% 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 $222 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sanaa runs roughly 295% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $116 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,005 in Sanaa versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sanaa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Sanaa 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 Sanaa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.