Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Sanaa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanaa: $1,023 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Sanaa
Learn more

Sanaa Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Sanaa

🇾🇪 Yemen

$1,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Sanaa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Sanaa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,023 in Sanaa.

Mexico City $1,608
Sanaa $1,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,619 in Sanaa.

Mexico City $2,549
Sanaa $1,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,216 in Sanaa.

Mexico City $3,490
Sanaa $2,216

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Sanaa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Sanaa is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$6.45 YER 1,520

64.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$25.52 YER 6,018

89.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$9.76 YER 2,301

6.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 YER 460

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 YER 616

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$3.79 YER 895

-2.64%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$1.18 YER 278

41.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$0.59 YER 140

115.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$2.06 YER 487

-16.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$1.64 YER 386

85.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$2.01 YER 474

-3.48%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$3.76 YER 886

-23.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$17.06 YER 4,022

-35.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$8.44 YER 1,990

9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$19.00 YER 4,481

-20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$3.27 YER 770

-6.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.01 YER 238

92.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

$2.16 YER 509

-6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$1.73 YER 408

33.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

$1.51 YER 357

35.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$1.33 YER 314

35.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

$1.20 YER 284

23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$0.64 YER 152

98.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.55 YER 602

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 YER 425

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 YER 615

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$5.54 YER 1,306

-4.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

$0.41 YER 95.5

-24.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

$84.8 YER 20.0K

-76.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

$4.21 YER 992

-56.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

$2.16 YER 510

-75.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

$7.21 YER 1,700

-26.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

$2.12 YER 500

-28.77%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

$16.7K YER 3.9M

30.47%

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

$34.4K YER 8.1M

-30.36%

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

$109 YER 25.6K

-42.01%

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

$27.39 MX$512

$23.21 YER 5,474

18.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

$100 YER 23.7K

-64.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

$66.2 YER 15.6K

-10.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

$16.55 YER 3,903

42.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$6.02 YER 1,420

6.31%

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

$432 MX$8,065

$117 YER 27.5K

270.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

$2,184 YER 514.9K

423.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

$41.59 YER 9,807

64.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

$123 YER 28.9K

-56.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

$48.01 YER 11.3K

124.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

$41.10 YER 9,691

185.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$219 YER 51.7K

407.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$93.7 YER 22.1K

658.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

$413 YER 97.3K

527.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$274 YER 64.5K

413.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

$4,087 YER 963.7K

-11.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

$795 YER 187.4K

168.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$190 YER 44.7K

398.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.25

0.89%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Sanaa

$94 9.2% 86.8% $617

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Sanaa

$270 26.4% 15.6% $50

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Sanaa

$133 13.1% 32.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Sanaa

$114 11.1% 26.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Sanaa

$232 22.7% 84.2% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Sanaa

$78 7.7% 9% $6.5

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Sanaa

$101 9.9% 299% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $219 in Sanaa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $26 in Sanaa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $270 per month, with Sanaa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇾🇪 Sanaa

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

9 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,527,861 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 263 YER (1,000 YER = 3.81 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Sanaa 14,440 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 57% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $1,023 including rent). Sanaa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 5 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $219 in Sanaa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 77% less than in Sanaa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $117 in Sanaa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Sanaa is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Sanaa wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.