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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,511 in Yens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $5,311 in Yens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $7,111 in Yens.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 58% less than in Yens, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Yens 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$30.64 CHF 24.16

-56.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$145 CHF 114

-62.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$18.91 CHF 14.91

-50.19%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$6.15 CHF 4.85

-42.28%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$5.34 CHF 4.21

-69.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$4.87 CHF 3.84

-77.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$9.92 CHF 7.82

-68.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$7.43 CHF 5.86

-37.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.17 CHF 1.71

-21.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$3.84 CHF 3.03

-29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$4.52 CHF 3.56

-57.74%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$7.10 CHF 5.60

-64.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$26.46 CHF 20.86

-62.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$28.53 CHF 22.50

-71.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$43.82 CHF 34.55

-73.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.64 CHF 2.87

-18.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.11 CHF 1.66

-14.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.81 CHF 2.22

-28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$6.57 CHF 5.18

-69.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.44 CHF 1.92

-13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.33 CHF 1.83

-2.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.49 CHF 1.96

-43.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.46 CHF 1.15

-22.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$10.93 CHF 8.62

-60.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$13.76 CHF 10.85

13.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.02 CHF 1.59

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$3.12 CHF 2.46

15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$3.95 CHF 3.11

-90.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$98.7 CHF 77.8

-80.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$8.10 CHF 6.38

-82.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$3.37 CHF 2.65

-91.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$66.2 CHF 52.2

-91.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-40.64%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$40.0K CHF 31.6K

-53.32%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$41.6K CHF 32.8K

-44.42%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$304 CHF 240

-86.55%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$51.1 CHF 40.31

-47.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$57.7 CHF 45.49

-48.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$89.6 CHF 70.7

-41.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$23.13 CHF 18.23

-72.76%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$2,554 CHF 2,014

-82.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$33.7K CHF 26.6K

-69.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$107 CHF 84.7

-47.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$70.9 CHF 55.9

-37.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$151 CHF 119

-31.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$184 CHF 145

-42.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,711 CHF 1,349

-40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$1,451 CHF 1,144

-56.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$2,872 CHF 2,264

-25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$2,427 CHF 1,913

-48.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$15.7K CHF 12.4K

-75.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$10.6K CHF 8,331

-80.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.5

353.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yens: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,711 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $145 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $618 per month, with Mexico City 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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yens differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $3,511 including rent). Mexico City 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 $5,266 in Yens 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 $1,711 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 415% less than in Yens. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $2,554 in Yens. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $3,511 in Yens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Yens. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Yens 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.