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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $696 in Calamba versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,181 in Calamba versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,665 in Calamba versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Calamba costs roughly 52% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calamba is 48% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ₱224

$13.07 MX$229

-72.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.16 ₱810

$53.8 MX$940

-75.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.58 ₱159

$9.68 MX$169

-73.35%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ₱147

$3.74 MX$65.4

-36.10%

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

$0.65 ₱40.01

$1.62 MX$28.25

-59.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₱24.98

$1.16 MX$20.31

-64.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ₱64.6

$3.23 MX$56.4

-67.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱123

$4.74 MX$82.9

-57.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ₱115

$1.65 MX$28.80

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₱73.1

$2.75 MX$48.15

-56.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ₱67.8

$1.87 MX$32.77

-41.18%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱141

$2.50 MX$43.72

-8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 ₱578

$10.20 MX$178

-8.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.82 ₱235

$8.25 MX$144

-53.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 ₱516

$11.82 MX$207

-29.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 ₱164

$3.01 MX$52.6

-11.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₱115

$1.81 MX$31.67

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₱146

$2.00 MX$34.96

18.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱71.5

$2.00 MX$34.89

-42.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 ₱112

$2.08 MX$36.45

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 ₱135

$2.27 MX$39.72

-3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ₱42.08

$1.46 MX$25.47

-53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱44.36

$1.08 MX$18.82

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₱207

$4.35 MX$76.0

-22.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 ₱540

$16.99 MX$297

-48.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₱63.8

$1.73 MX$30.31

-39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱144

$3.58 MX$62.5

-34.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.88

$0.39 MX$6.77

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₱53.8

$1.33 MX$23.18

-34.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.53

$0.28 MX$4.89

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ₱149

$5.25 MX$91.8

-53.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱70.8

$1.34 MX$23.37

-14.18%

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

$32.0K ₱2.0M

$19.4K MX$339.4K

64.84%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-13.38%

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

$147 ₱9,069

$40.69 MX$712

262.01%

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

$34.10 ₱2,099

$26.87 MX$470

26.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.99 ₱1,600

$30.51 MX$534

-14.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.44 ₱2,120

$52.8 MX$923

-34.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.56 ₱281

$26.65 MX$466

-82.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱348

$6.51 MX$114

-13.21%

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

$153 ₱9,390

$428 MX$7,485

-64.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,800 ₱295.5K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-54.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.68 ₱3,058

$57.3 MX$1,001

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.12 ₱1,670

$45.50 MX$796

-40.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 ₱4,605

$104 MX$1,819

-28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.97 ₱2,892

$108 MX$1,885

-56.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 ₱7,617

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-87.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.2 ₱4,998

$623 MX$10.9K

-86.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₱36.4K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-72.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₱24.4K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-67.43%

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)

$258 ₱15.9K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-75.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

11.34

-60.32%

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

Last update for Calamba: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $124 in Calamba and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 302% 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: $13.00 in Calamba vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $292 per month, with Calamba 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

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

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 302% 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: $124 in Calamba versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $696 per month in Calamba versus $1,456 in Mexico City – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $696 in Calamba versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $696 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.