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: $731 in Butuan versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,129 in Butuan versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,527 in Butuan versus $3,274 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 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ₱272

$13.18 MX$228

-66.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.09 ₱992

$53.9 MX$932

-70.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 ₱144

$9.42 MX$163

-75.27%

Cappuccino

$1.63 ₱100

$3.55 MX$61.4

-54.08%

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

$0.33 ₱20.25

$1.62 MX$27.98

-79.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.22

$1.11 MX$19.27

-72.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱71.8

$3.12 MX$54.0

-62.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₱112

$4.63 MX$80.1

-60.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱102

$1.70 MX$29.43

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ₱63.8

$2.72 MX$47.02

-62.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱61.1

$1.91 MX$33.07

-48.17%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱122

$2.54 MX$43.86

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.73 ₱353

$10.03 MX$174

-42.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 ₱223

$8.09 MX$140

-55.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 ₱454

$11.62 MX$201

-36.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 ₱85.1

$2.97 MX$51.3

-53.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 ₱33.96

$1.81 MX$31.24

-69.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₱53.8

$2.01 MX$34.82

-56.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ₱86.6

$2.03 MX$35.20

-31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ₱136

$2.12 MX$36.75

3.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ₱197

$2.27 MX$39.25

40.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₱85.3

$1.40 MX$24.22

-1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.27

$1.13 MX$19.55

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₱150

$4.27 MX$73.9

-42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 ₱511

$15.56 MX$269

-46.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱44.55

$1.76 MX$30.39

-59.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₱53.5

$3.60 MX$62.2

-75.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.34

$0.38 MX$6.62

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱46.67

$1.38 MX$23.79

-44.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.46

$0.28 MX$4.78

-10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₱132

$5.45 MX$94.2

-60.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱70.2

$1.30 MX$22.55

-12.31%

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

$22.3K ₱1.4M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

19.42%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-9.77%

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

$106 ₱6,539

$40.86 MX$707

159.52%

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

$33.91 ₱2,091

$26.81 MX$464

26.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.49 ₱2,188

$29.96 MX$518

18.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.79 ₱2,084

$52.0 MX$900

-35.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.32 ₱266

$26.84 MX$464

-83.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 ₱270

$6.30 MX$109

-30.48%

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

$72.1 ₱4,443

$436 MX$7,544

-83.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,766 ₱108.9K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-83.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.95 ₱2,834

$56.7 MX$980

-18.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.10 ₱623

$44.38 MX$768

-77.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ₱4,370

$103 MX$1,780

-31.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 ₱4,191

$106 MX$1,825

-35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.2K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-74.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₱10.8K

$631 MX$10.9K

-72.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₱36.5K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-72.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₱24.5K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-68.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,749 ₱169.5K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-29.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,070 ₱66.0K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-48.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Butuan and $1,022 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 $288 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 101% 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 $1,097 in Butuan and $2,201 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: $262 in Butuan versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $72.1 in Butuan versus $436 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 $731 in Butuan versus $1,467 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 $731 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 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.