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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,287 in Yamaguchi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,972 in Yamaguchi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,657 in Yamaguchi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 13% more expensive than in Yamaguchi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Yamaguchi is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.27 ¥694

206.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.37 ¥5,584

56.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.56 ¥904

74.10%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.18 ¥517

17.61%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.04 ¥169

55.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.76 ¥123

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.65 ¥430

21.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.94 ¥803

-4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.68 ¥272

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.67 ¥271

64.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$4.18 ¥680

-55.26%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.57 ¥418

-2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.18 ¥1,654

0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.00 ¥975

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$21.05 ¥3,420

-43.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.17 ¥515

-5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.40 ¥228

29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.41 ¥229

41.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$5.80 ¥942

-65.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.80 ¥455

-25.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$3.25 ¥528

-30.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.98 ¥160

48.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.75 ¥123

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.92 ¥637

10.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$6.34 ¥1,030

167.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.99 ¥323

-13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.14 ¥348

67.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.67 ¥272

-76.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$55.3 ¥8,985

-66.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$4.67 ¥759

-71.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$2.91 ¥473

-90.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$19.33 ¥3,141

-72.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.20 ¥195

11.67%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.4K ¥3.8M

-17.03%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$20.3K ¥3.3M

17.29%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$216 ¥35.1K

-81.15%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$27.09 ¥4,401

-0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$35.57 ¥5,780

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$54.8 ¥8,898

-3.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$14.05 ¥2,283

89.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$13.68 ¥2,222

-52.41%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$422 ¥68.5K

1.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$13.6K ¥2.2M

-22.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$43.18 ¥7,016

32.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.49 ¥4,792

54.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$65.9 ¥10.7K

57.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$59.7 ¥9,701

80.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$477 ¥77.5K

110.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$334 ¥54.3K

86.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$882 ¥143.3K

139.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$652 ¥106.0K

86.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$4,333 ¥704.0K

-10.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,945 ¥316.0K

4.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

1.67

579.04%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $477 in Yamaguchi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Yamaguchi. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $298, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,287 including rent). Yamaguchi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,930 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $477 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 196% 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 $422 in Yamaguchi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Yamaguchi versus $1,456 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 13% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.