Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Yangshuo

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangshuo: $713 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,567
/mo nomad
Yangshuo
🇨🇳 China
$713
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Yangshuo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $713 in Yangshuo.

  • Mexico City $1,567
  • Yangshuo $713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,130 in Yangshuo.

  • Mexico City $2,450
  • Yangshuo $1,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,548 in Yangshuo.

  • Mexico City $3,333
  • Yangshuo $1,548

Living in Mexico City is roughly 120% more expensive than in Yangshuo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Yangshuo is 47% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$2.80 ¥18.73
283.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.3 MX$929
$21.83 ¥146
130.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 MX$205
$4.91 ¥32.80
126.07%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$3.06 ¥20.45
20.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 MX$30.42
$0.47 ¥3.12
251.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.08
$0.29 ¥1.95
348.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.32 MX$61.3
$0.90 ¥5.99
268.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 MX$102
$2.04 ¥13.62
171.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.77 MX$32.68
$1.82 ¥12.14
-2.75%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$56.4
$1.60 ¥10.68
90.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.20
$0.95 ¥6.33
111.58%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.1
$1.54 ¥10.29
79.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.91 MX$220
$12.67 ¥84.7
-6.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 MX$172
$3.14 ¥20.99
197.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.02 MX$278
$10.02 ¥67.0
49.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 MX$56.8
$1.87 ¥12.49
64.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.97
$1.20 ¥8.02
62.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.54
$1.48 ¥9.88
37.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$1.15 ¥7.70
92.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.41
$0.70 ¥4.67
188.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.67
$0.91 ¥6.10
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$0.60 ¥4.03
153.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.65
$0.51 ¥3.41
150.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.27 MX$97.4
$3.04 ¥20.34
73.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.12 MX$298
$10.74 ¥71.8
50.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 MX$36.05
$0.80 ¥5.38
143.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.25 MX$78.6
$1.65 ¥11.01
157.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 MX$5.82
$0.29 ¥1.94
6.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.85 MX$367
$16.88 ¥113
17.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.93
$1.35 ¥9.05
48.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 MX$9.86
$0.33 ¥2.18
60.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 MX$104
$6.61 ¥44.22
-14.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.07
$1.18 ¥7.91
28.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.7K
$19.3K ¥129.1K
8.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K MX$465.3K
$17.4K ¥116.2K
44.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.5 MX$1,155
$45.58 ¥305
37.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.77 MX$532
$9.73 ¥65.0
195.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.45 MX$637
$11.52 ¥77.0
199.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,055
$41.10 ¥275
38.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.81 MX$458
$13.85 ¥92.6
79.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.67 MX$123
$5.87 ¥39.27
13.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$431 MX$7,964
$339 ¥2,270
26.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K MX$216.9K
$17.0K ¥113.8K
-31.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 MX$1,308
$44.49 ¥297
59.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 MX$958
$30.94 ¥207
67.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 MX$2,011
$72.5 ¥485
50.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 MX$2,076
$71.1 ¥475
58.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,051 MX$19.4K
$280 ¥1,870
275.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 MX$12.3K
$191 ¥1,274
248.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,346 MX$43.3K
$581 ¥3,881
304.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,227 MX$22.7K
$358 ¥2,394
242.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,554 MX$65.7K
$3,087 ¥20.6K
15.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,977 MX$36.5K
$1,990 ¥13.3K
-0.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Yangshuo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$975 MX$18.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
3.89
190.49%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yangshuo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$665
Yangshuo
$191 71.3% $474
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$323
Yangshuo
$197 38.9% $125
Eating Out
Mexico City
$203
Yangshuo
$85 57.9% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$155
Yangshuo
$99 36.3% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$126
Yangshuo
$67 46.8% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Yangshuo
$53 25% $18
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Yangshuo
$21 18.4% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $280 in Yangshuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Yangshuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $197 per month, with Yangshuo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇨🇳 Yangshuo
🕒 Local time
03:17 3:17 AM
17:17 5:17 PM
14 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
300,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Yangshuo 14,150 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Yangshuo

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 Yangshuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Yangshuo?
Mexico City and Yangshuo differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $713 including rent). Yangshuo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Yangshuo?
You'd need roughly $2,351 in Mexico City and $1,069 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Yangshuo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $280 in Yangshuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Mexico City and in Yangshuo?
A monthly transit pass in Yangshuo runs roughly 18% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Yangshuo?
Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $339 in Yangshuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $713 in Yangshuo versus $1,567 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.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Yangshuo?
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.
Is Mexico City or Yangshuo safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Yangshuo?
Expats usually find Yangshuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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