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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $714 in Yulin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,128 in Yulin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,541 in Yulin.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 107% more expensive than in Yulin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Yulin is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$2.72 ¥18.41

383.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$20.93 ¥142

156.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$4.99 ¥33.75

91.38%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.2

$2.94 ¥19.87

26.53%

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

$1.57 MX$27.45

$0.47 ¥3.17

234.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.25

$0.27 ¥1.82

329.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$0.88 ¥5.96

261.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$2.12 ¥14.34

118.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.87

$1.86 ¥12.58

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.83

$1.58 ¥10.72

65.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.08

$0.91 ¥6.19

107.69%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.46

$1.62 ¥10.97

60.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$174

$13.04 ¥88.2

-24.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$3.06 ¥20.69

168.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$10.12 ¥68.5

16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.5

$1.72 ¥11.63

74.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.52

$1.26 ¥8.53

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.32

$1.41 ¥9.56

46.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.45

$1.10 ¥7.44

79.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.29

$0.67 ¥4.50

208.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.08

$0.91 ¥6.16

138.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.57

$0.60 ¥4.09

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.82

$0.55 ¥3.69

94.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.1

$3.09 ¥20.88

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$11.49 ¥77.7

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.35

$0.75 ¥5.09

124.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.9

$1.58 ¥10.67

131.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.27 ¥1.81

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$328

$16.83 ¥114

11.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.28

$1.41 ¥9.57

-5.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.31

$0.33 ¥2.21

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.6

$6.83 ¥46.25

-19.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.16 ¥7.85

12.93%

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

$19.2K MX$335.7K

$19.5K ¥131.7K

-1.49%

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

$23.7K MX$415.9K

$16.5K ¥111.8K

43.70%

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

$41.14 MX$721

$46.39 ¥314

-11.32%

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

$27.74 MX$486

$9.58 ¥64.8

189.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$528

$11.76 ¥79.6

156.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$941

$42.42 ¥287

26.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$455

$14.09 ¥95.4

84.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$6.18 ¥41.81

5.02%

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

$437 MX$7,647

$338 ¥2,289

29.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.1K

$17.2K ¥116.4K

-39.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,022

$43.55 ¥295

33.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$803

$30.07 ¥203

52.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,777

$71.6 ¥485

41.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,866

$74.3 ¥502

43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$283 ¥1,914

255.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$190 ¥1,285

233.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$597 ¥4,036

260.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$359 ¥2,430

247.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.6K

$3,128 ¥21.2K

23.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$1,942 ¥13.1K

7.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

$581 ¥3,934

84.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.87

193.02%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Last update for Yulin: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $283 in Yulin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 84% 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 $21.00 in Yulin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $199 per month, with Yulin 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 Yulin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Yulin differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($1,481 vs $714 including rent). Yulin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $283 in Yulin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yulin runs roughly 11% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $437 in Mexico City versus $338 in Yulin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $714 in Yulin versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yulin but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Yulin 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 Yulin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.