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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,181 in Yamaguchi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,829 in Yamaguchi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,478 in Yamaguchi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 42% more expensive than in Yamaguchi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Yamaguchi is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.87 ¥594

213.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$32.66 ¥5,015

65.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$5.17 ¥794

114.51%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.34 ¥513

22.75%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.06 ¥164

58.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.67 ¥103

107.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$3.95 ¥606

-15.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.21 ¥339

166.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.65 ¥253

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.96 ¥301

61.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$6.91 ¥1,060

-70.04%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.22 ¥342

31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$18.30 ¥2,810

-31.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$5.64 ¥866

79.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$19.30 ¥2,963

-16.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.63 ¥557

-6.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.86 ¥286

11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.99 ¥459

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$3.38 ¥519

-28.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.21 ¥340

-3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.58 ¥396

-22.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.07 ¥164

44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.93 ¥143

46.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.14 ¥635

39.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$6.44 ¥989

175.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.71 ¥263

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.90 ¥291

142.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$1.47 ¥226

-74.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$61.9 ¥9,500

-65.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$4.12 ¥633

-50.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$2.09 ¥321

-72.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$18.38 ¥2,823

-66.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.13 ¥174

37.17%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$22.0K ¥3.4M

3.94%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$18.0K ¥2.8M

51.57%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$190 ¥29.1K

-64.46%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$25.04 ¥3,845

22.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$33.96 ¥5,215

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$48.10 ¥7,385

27.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$11.28 ¥1,732

-36.97%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$130 ¥20.0K

250.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$12.5K ¥1.9M

9.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$38.96 ¥5,983

90.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$24.04 ¥3,692

137.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$60.9 ¥9,353

89.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$49.32 ¥7,573

146.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$429 ¥65.8K

167.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$262 ¥40.2K

171.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$802 ¥123.2K

221.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$574 ¥88.1K

125.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$4,646 ¥713.4K

-13.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,992 ¥305.9K

6.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

1.85

510.81%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $429 in Yamaguchi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $33.00 in Yamaguchi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $324 per month, with Yamaguchi 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 Yamaguchi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yamaguchi differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,181 including rent). Yamaguchi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,771 in Yamaguchi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $429 in Yamaguchi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yamaguchi runs roughly 192% 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 $130 in Yamaguchi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,181 in Yamaguchi versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yamaguchi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Yamaguchi 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Yamaguchi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Yamaguchi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.