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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $829 in Yaounde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,260 in Yaounde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $1,690 in Yaounde.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 99% more expensive than in Yaounde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Yaounde is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.61 FCFA 2,033

235.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$53.7 FCFA 30.3K

-2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$5.25 FCFA 2,959

107.62%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.04 FCFA 1,150

98.53%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.53 FCFA 860

12.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.54 FCFA 304

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$1.24 FCFA 701

179.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$1.76 FCFA 990

230.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$3.80 FCFA 2,142

-51.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.11 FCFA 628

190.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.32 FCFA 746

58.33%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.16 FCFA 1,216

34.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$14.28 FCFA 8,049

-12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$6.03 FCFA 3,401

67.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$6.77 FCFA 3,818

134.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$5.26 FCFA 2,964

-37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$2.11 FCFA 1,189

0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.17 FCFA 1,225

0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.47 FCFA 828

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.69 FCFA 953

29.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.44 FCFA 810

31.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.12 FCFA 633

44.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.68 FCFA 385

98.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$1.73 FCFA 976

213.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$8.96 FCFA 5,051

96.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.42 FCFA 801

45.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.04 FCFA 1,152

132.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.60 FCFA 340

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$17.94 FCFA 10.1K

20.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$0.64 FCFA 359

218.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.43 FCFA 242

34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$6.23 FCFA 3,514

-4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.48 FCFA 832

9.46%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$33.6K FCFA 18.9M

-32.11%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$22.3K FCFA 12.6M

19.64%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$82.1 FCFA 46.3K

-20.56%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$18.00 FCFA 10.1K

65.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$52.9 FCFA 29.8K

-30.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$24.24 FCFA 13.7K

151.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$7.33 FCFA 4,129

264.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$8.66 FCFA 4,879

-20.90%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$642 FCFA 361.9K

-29.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$2,469 FCFA 1.4M

441.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$17.46 FCFA 9,841

329.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$28.15 FCFA 15.9K

96.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$26.92 FCFA 15.2K

322.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$57.6 FCFA 32.5K

112.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$147 FCFA 82.6K

673.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$191 FCFA 107.6K

272.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$411 FCFA 231.5K

525.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$217 FCFA 122.3K

504.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$888 FCFA 500.8K

349.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$621 FCFA 349.9K

237.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$192 FCFA 108.4K

444.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-13.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $147 in Yaounde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 444% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $54.0 in Yaounde. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $261, with Yaounde 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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yaounde differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $829 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 444% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $147 in Yaounde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yaounde runs roughly 20% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $642 in Yaounde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $829 in Yaounde versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yaounde but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Yaounde 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.

Expats usually find Yaounde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.