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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Butuan versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,121 in Butuan versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,507 in Butuan versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ₱278

$13.07 MX$229

-65.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.09 ₱991

$53.8 MX$940

-70.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.37 ₱146

$9.68 MX$169

-75.52%

Cappuccino

$1.62 ₱99.8

$3.74 MX$65.4

-56.68%

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

$0.33 ₱20.25

$1.62 MX$28.25

-79.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.13

$1.16 MX$20.31

-73.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱75.1

$3.23 MX$56.4

-62.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₱111

$4.74 MX$82.9

-62.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱103

$1.65 MX$28.80

1.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱66.0

$2.75 MX$48.15

-61.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱56.9

$1.87 MX$32.77

-50.80%

Eggs

$2.08 ₱128

$2.50 MX$43.72

-16.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.74 ₱353

$10.20 MX$178

-43.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 ₱223

$8.25 MX$144

-56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 ₱448

$11.82 MX$207

-38.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 ₱89.1

$3.01 MX$52.6

-51.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.52 ₱31.95

$1.81 MX$31.67

-71.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 ₱55.6

$2.00 MX$34.96

-55.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 ₱87.0

$2.00 MX$34.89

-29.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 ₱134

$2.08 MX$36.45

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 ₱195

$2.27 MX$39.72

39.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ₱81.1

$1.46 MX$25.47

-9.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱35.25

$1.08 MX$18.82

-47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 ₱149

$4.35 MX$76.0

-44.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 ₱488

$16.99 MX$297

-53.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱44.55

$1.73 MX$30.31

-58.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱56.8

$3.58 MX$62.5

-74.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.84

$0.39 MX$6.77

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₱43.24

$1.33 MX$23.18

-47.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.46

$0.28 MX$4.89

-10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₱132

$5.25 MX$91.8

-59.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱70.5

$1.34 MX$23.37

-14.18%

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

$21.9K ₱1.3M

$19.4K MX$339.4K

12.63%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-12.07%

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

$105 ₱6,457

$40.69 MX$712

157.75%

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

$33.60 ₱2,069

$26.87 MX$470

25.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.43 ₱2,243

$30.51 MX$534

19.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.40 ₱2,118

$52.8 MX$923

-34.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.46 ₱275

$26.65 MX$466

-83.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 ₱275

$6.51 MX$114

-31.49%

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

$69.6 ₱4,283

$428 MX$7,485

-83.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,787 ₱110.0K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-82.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 ₱2,786

$57.3 MX$1,001

-20.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.00 ₱615

$45.50 MX$796

-78.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,380

$104 MX$1,819

-31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ₱4,274

$108 MX$1,885

-35.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱16.6K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-73.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.7K

$623 MX$10.9K

-72.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 ₱36.5K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-71.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₱24.2K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-67.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

11.34

-15.70%

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

Last update for Butuan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Butuan and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Butuan vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $292 per month, with Butuan 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

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

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,102 in Butuan and $2,185 in Mexico City 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: $269 in Butuan versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $69.6 in Butuan versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $734 in Butuan versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Butuan and Mexico City 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 Butuan 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.