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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $914 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,460 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,006 in Sanaa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than in Sanaa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Sanaa is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$6.33 YER 1,499

106.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$22.96 YER 5,433

134.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$10.47 YER 2,479

-7.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 YER 417

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 YER 431

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.69 YER 873

1.36%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.16 YER 274

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.47 YER 111

146.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.88 YER 446

-12.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.22 YER 289

125.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.48 YER 588

-24.60%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$4.03 YER 953

-37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.87 YER 2,337

3.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.69 YER 1,582

23.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$18.58 YER 4,397

-36.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.85 YER 912

-21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.39 YER 329

30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.39 YER 566

-16.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.64 YER 389

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.79 YER 424

16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.62 YER 384

40.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.63 YER 149

131.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.73 YER 172

47.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.38 YER 800

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 YER 395

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.05 YER 958

7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.42 YER 101

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$81.8 YER 19.4K

-77.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$4.15 YER 982

-67.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$4.03 YER 953

-93.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$7.02 YER 1,661

-25.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$2.74 YER 648

-51.09%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$16.7K YER 3.9M

16.46%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$33.9K YER 8.0M

-29.72%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$71.5 YER 16.9K

-43.07%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$13.56 YER 3,209

98.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$38.21 YER 9,042

-20.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$67.4 YER 16.0K

-21.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$16.43 YER 3,889

62.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.89 YER 1,394

10.53%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$112 YER 26.6K

281.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,809 YER 428.2K

480.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$39.44 YER 9,336

45.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$147 YER 34.8K

-69.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$40.85 YER 9,668

154.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$41.77 YER 9,885

158.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$166 YER 39.4K

502.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$95.4 YER 22.6K

553.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$403 YER 95.4K

423.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$261 YER 61.7K

367.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,070 YER 963.3K

-4.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$808 YER 191.1K

151.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$190 YER 45.0K

445.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.25

0.80%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $166 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 445% 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 Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $241 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $914 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 445% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $166 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 338% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $112 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $914 in Sanaa versus $1,456 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 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.