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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $736 in Yaounde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,190 in Yaounde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,644 in Yaounde.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 98% more expensive than in Yaounde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Yaounde is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.89 FCFA 2,806

167.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$44.62 FCFA 25.6K

20.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.65 FCFA 3,246

71.33%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.73 FCFA 1,566

37.00%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.43 FCFA 819

13.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.66 FCFA 379

75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.16 FCFA 664

178.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.75 FCFA 1,005

170.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.86 FCFA 1,641

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.02 FCFA 583

169.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.11 FCFA 635

68.47%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.79 FCFA 1,028

39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$14.15 FCFA 8,123

-27.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.11 FCFA 3,510

35.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$5.89 FCFA 3,382

100.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.62 FCFA 2,651

-34.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.08 FCFA 1,192

-12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.06 FCFA 1,183

-2.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.24 FCFA 711

61.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.67 FCFA 958

24.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.45 FCFA 832

56.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.57 FCFA 328

156.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.01 FCFA 578

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.72 FCFA 987

152.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$8.63 FCFA 4,954

96.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.28 FCFA 734

35.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.55 FCFA 891

130.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.61 FCFA 349

-36.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$17.38 FCFA 9,981

7.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.60 FCFA 346

121.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.42 FCFA 240

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.78 FCFA 3,319

-9.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.34 FCFA 772

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$33.6K FCFA 19.3M

-42.26%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$15.6K FCFA 9.0M

52.64%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$78.6 FCFA 45.1K

-48.21%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$21.11 FCFA 12.1K

27.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$47.48 FCFA 27.3K

-35.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$26.58 FCFA 15.3K

98.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$7.21 FCFA 4,140

269.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.66 FCFA 3,826

-2.25%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$335 FCFA 192.4K

27.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$1,827 FCFA 1.0M

474.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$16.31 FCFA 9,364

251.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$24.04 FCFA 13.8K

89.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$19.51 FCFA 11.2K

433.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$58.0 FCFA 33.3K

85.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$149 FCFA 85.4K

574.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$121 FCFA 69.4K

415.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$498 FCFA 285.7K

323.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$252 FCFA 144.5K

383.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$866 FCFA 497.3K

348.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$614 FCFA 352.5K

231.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$184 FCFA 105.9K

462.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

89.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $149 in Yaounde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 463% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Yaounde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $240 per month, with Yaounde 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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yaounde differ by about 98% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $736 including rent). Yaounde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 463% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $149 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 8% 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 $335 in Yaounde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $736 in Yaounde versus $1,456 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 98% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.