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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Yaounde costs roughly 50% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 FCFA 2,033

$12.11 MX$205

-70.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 FCFA 30.3K

$52.2 MX$883

2.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 FCFA 2,959

$10.90 MX$184

-51.83%

Cappuccino

$2.04 FCFA 1,150

$4.05 MX$68.5

-49.63%

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

$1.53 FCFA 860

$1.72 MX$29.00

-11.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 FCFA 304

$1.38 MX$23.29

-60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 FCFA 701

$3.47 MX$58.6

-64.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 FCFA 990

$5.81 MX$98.2

-69.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.80 FCFA 2,142

$1.85 MX$31.33

105.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 FCFA 628

$3.22 MX$54.5

-65.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 FCFA 746

$2.09 MX$35.25

-36.84%

Eggs

$2.16 FCFA 1,216

$2.91 MX$49.18

-25.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.28 FCFA 8,049

$12.49 MX$211

14.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 FCFA 3,401

$10.11 MX$171

-40.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 FCFA 3,818

$15.89 MX$269

-57.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 FCFA 2,964

$3.31 MX$56.0

58.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 FCFA 1,189

$2.13 MX$35.95

-0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 FCFA 1,225

$2.19 MX$37.03

-0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 FCFA 828

$2.45 MX$41.37

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 FCFA 953

$2.19 MX$37.00

-22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 FCFA 810

$1.90 MX$32.20

-24.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 FCFA 633

$1.62 MX$27.31

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 FCFA 385

$1.35 MX$22.82

-49.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 FCFA 976

$5.43 MX$91.7

-68.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.96 FCFA 5,051

$17.59 MX$297

-49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 FCFA 801

$2.07 MX$34.96

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 FCFA 1,152

$4.75 MX$80.2

-57.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 FCFA 340

$0.34 MX$5.75

76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.94 FCFA 10.1K

$21.58 MX$365

-16.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 FCFA 359

$2.04 MX$34.49

-68.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 FCFA 242

$0.58 MX$9.77

-25.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 FCFA 3,514

$5.97 MX$101

4.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 FCFA 832

$1.62 MX$27.31

-8.64%

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

$33.6K FCFA 18.9M

$22.8K MX$385.6K

47.31%

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

$22.3K FCFA 12.6M

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-16.41%

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

$82.1 FCFA 46.3K

$65.2 MX$1,103

25.89%

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

$18.00 FCFA 10.1K

$29.87 MX$505

-39.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 FCFA 29.8K

$36.55 MX$618

44.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.24 FCFA 13.7K

$61.0 MX$1,031

-60.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 FCFA 4,129

$26.70 MX$451

-72.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 FCFA 4,879

$6.85 MX$116

26.42%

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

$642 FCFA 361.9K

$453 MX$7,664

41.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,469 FCFA 1.4M

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-81.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.46 FCFA 9,841

$75.0 MX$1,267

-76.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.15 FCFA 15.9K

$55.3 MX$935

-49.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.92 FCFA 15.2K

$114 MX$1,920

-76.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.6 FCFA 32.5K

$123 MX$2,073

-53.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$147 FCFA 82.6K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-87.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 FCFA 107.6K

$712 MX$12.0K

-73.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 FCFA 231.5K

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-84.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 FCFA 122.3K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-83.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$888 FCFA 500.8K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-77.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$621 FCFA 349.9K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-70.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$192 FCFA 108.4K

$1,047 MX$17.7K

-81.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

15.04%

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

Last update for Yaounde: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $147 in Yaounde and $1,134 in Mexico City. 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: $54.0 in Yaounde vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $261 vs $345, 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

Yaounde vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 444% lower in Mexico City. 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: $147 in Yaounde versus $1,134 in Mexico City. 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 $642 in Yaounde versus $453 in Mexico City. 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.