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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $900 in Sanaa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,466 in Sanaa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,032 in Sanaa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 63% more expensive than Sanaa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Sanaa is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.11 YER 1,455

115.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$22.83 YER 5,440

136.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$10.15 YER 2,418

-7.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 YER 432

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 430

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.72 YER 888

-4.57%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.14 YER 273

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.46 YER 110

141.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.91 YER 455

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.20 YER 287

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.47 YER 589

-22.67%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$4.03 YER 959

-36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.86 YER 2,350

1.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$6.82 YER 1,625

18.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$19.15 YER 4,563

-39.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.92 YER 933

-24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.44 YER 344

25.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.41 YER 574

-16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.64 YER 391

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.70 YER 405

24.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.57 YER 374

44.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.64 YER 151

118.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.74 YER 176

52.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.28 YER 782

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 YER 394

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 YER 772

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.91 YER 932

9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.42 YER 101

-9.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$82.1 YER 19.6K

-76.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$4.21 YER 1,004

-67.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$3.99 YER 952

-92.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$7.32 YER 1,745

-25.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$2.68 YER 640

-51.49%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$16.4K YER 3.9M

13.70%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$33.5K YER 8.0M

-30.99%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$72.3 YER 17.2K

-43.51%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.70 YER 3,266

95.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$38.45 YER 9,163

-22.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$66.6 YER 15.9K

-21.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$16.68 YER 3,975

60.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.90 YER 1,405

6.78%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$116 YER 27.5K

277.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,808 YER 430.7K

476.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$39.29 YER 9,363

44.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$148 YER 35.2K

-70.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$41.65 YER 9,924

147.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$42.36 YER 10.1K

149.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$167 YER 39.8K

511.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$95.3 YER 22.7K

562.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$410 YER 97.8K

420.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$265 YER 63.2K

368.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$4,123 YER 982.5K

-5.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$819 YER 195.1K

152.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$191 YER 45.5K

483.55%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $167 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 484% 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 $288 vs $244 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $900 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 484% 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 $167 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 328% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 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 $900 in Sanaa versus $1,467 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 63% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.