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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,434 in Yokohama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,171 in Yokohama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,907 in Yokohama.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 3% more expensive than in Yokohama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 11% above, Yokohama 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$7.02 ¥1,146

87.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$42.14 ¥6,882

27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$5.62 ¥918

66.01%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$3.21 ¥524

15.26%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$1.21 ¥198

32.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.80 ¥131

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$2.05 ¥335

53.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$3.10 ¥506

56.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.50 ¥244

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.70 ¥277

59.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$4.83 ¥789

-60.46%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.30 ¥375

12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$9.98 ¥1,630

-1.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.41 ¥1,047

31.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$15.31 ¥2,500

-22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$6.16 ¥1,005

-52.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$3.10 ¥507

-43.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$3.94 ¥643

-48.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$6.21 ¥1,014

-66.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$3.33 ¥543

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$4.25 ¥694

-46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.39 ¥227

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.81 ¥133

38.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$4.25 ¥693

-0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$7.08 ¥1,156

147.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.80 ¥294

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.12 ¥347

71.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$1.51 ¥247

-76.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$55.6 ¥9,074

-65.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$3.46 ¥565

-60.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$2.67 ¥435

-89.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$22.03 ¥3,597

-76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.20 ¥195

13.33%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$22.8K ¥3.7M

-16.31%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$18.8K ¥3.1M

25.50%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$144 ¥23.5K

-71.83%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$27.27 ¥4,453

0.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$34.06 ¥5,562

-10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$56.2 ¥9,174

-7.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$13.63 ¥2,226

94.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$13.86 ¥2,264

-55.34%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$284 ¥46.4K

49.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

-21.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$41.73 ¥6,815

39.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$29.58 ¥4,831

50.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$61.2 ¥9,993

69.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$112 ¥18.3K

-2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$839 ¥137.0K

20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$475 ¥77.5K

31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$1,290 ¥210.7K

64.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$859 ¥140.3K

42.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

$6,141 ¥1.0M

-38.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

$4,365 ¥712.8K

-51.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$2,633 ¥430.0K

-60.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

2.05

453.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $839 in Yokohama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yokohama pays 150% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $42.00 in Yokohama. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $326, with Mexico City 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 Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yokohama differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,434 including rent). Yokohama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 150% lower in Yokohama. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $839 in Yokohama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yokohama runs roughly 188% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $284 in Yokohama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,434 in Yokohama versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Yokohama but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Yokohama 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 Yokohama 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 Yokohama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.