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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $727 in Yangshuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,140 in Yangshuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,553 in Yangshuo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than Yangshuo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Yangshuo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$2.71 ¥18.34

386.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$21.97 ¥149

145.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$4.80 ¥32.50

96.25%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$3.04 ¥20.56

16.78%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.43 ¥2.93

276.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.27 ¥1.80

311.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$0.88 ¥5.98

254.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.8

$2.05 ¥13.89

125.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.85 ¥12.52

-8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.55 ¥10.49

75.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$0.89 ¥6.03

114.61%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.28

$1.59 ¥10.79

59.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$12.80 ¥86.6

-21.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$3.14 ¥21.22

157.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$10.37 ¥70.1

12.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$1.80 ¥12.15

65.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.20 ¥8.10

50.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.15

$1.50 ¥10.13

34.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.53

$1.14 ¥7.70

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$0.69 ¥4.69

207.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$0.91 ¥6.13

149.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$0.57 ¥3.84

145.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.55 ¥3.70

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$3.22 ¥21.77

32.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$10.35 ¥70.0

50.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$0.76 ¥5.11

131.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$1.61 ¥10.88

123.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.29 ¥1.96

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

$16.90 ¥114

13.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.02

$1.40 ¥9.48

-1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$0.33 ¥2.20

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$6.67 ¥45.09

-18.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.12 ¥7.61

16.07%

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

$18.7K MX$326.3K

$19.1K ¥129.4K

-2.27%

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

$23.1K MX$403.9K

$17.3K ¥117.3K

33.45%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$45.32 ¥307

-9.84%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$10.01 ¥67.7

167.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$11.67 ¥78.9

156.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$41.80 ¥283

24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$14.06 ¥95.1

90.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$6.05 ¥40.96

4.13%

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

$436 MX$7,616

$328 ¥2,221

32.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

-38.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$44.61 ¥302

26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$30.38 ¥206

46.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,797

$70.6 ¥478

45.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$72.0 ¥487

46.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$280 ¥1,893

265.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$193 ¥1,304

227.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$593 ¥4,010

260.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$363 ¥2,457

242.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$2,989 ¥20.2K

30.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.0K

$2,023 ¥13.7K

2.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.89

191.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yangshuo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $280 in Yangshuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Yangshuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $197 per month, with Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yangshuo differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $727 including rent). Yangshuo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,091 in Yangshuo 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $280 in Yangshuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yangshuo runs roughly 13% 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 $328 in Yangshuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $727 in Yangshuo versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yangshuo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo 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 Yangshuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.