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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Cotabato City versus $1,466 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,158 in Cotabato City versus $2,325 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,580 in Cotabato City versus $3,184 in Mexico City.

Living in Cotabato City costs roughly 50% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.32 ₱262

$13.30 MX$231

-67.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.28 ₱1,469

$53.8 MX$935

-54.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.48 ₱271

$9.42 MX$164

-52.44%

Cappuccino

$2.04 ₱123

$3.59 MX$62.5

-43.18%

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

$0.87 ₱52.4

$1.62 MX$28.23

-46.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱31.86

$1.12 MX$19.56

-52.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ₱88.3

$3.25 MX$56.5

-55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱106

$4.65 MX$80.9

-62.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ₱64.8

$1.64 MX$28.47

-34.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 ₱20.34

$2.65 MX$46.16

-87.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱50.9

$1.96 MX$34.10

-57.14%

Eggs

$2.01 ₱122

$2.54 MX$44.24

-20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.18 ₱374

$9.97 MX$173

-38.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 ₱201

$8.39 MX$146

-60.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 ₱436

$11.83 MX$206

-39.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 ₱84.4

$2.86 MX$49.79

-51.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₱62.6

$1.73 MX$30.15

-40.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₱63.3

$1.99 MX$34.62

-47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱68.2

$2.05 MX$35.63

-44.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ₱77.0

$2.06 MX$35.77

-38.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ₱89.1

$2.28 MX$39.68

-35.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₱30.80

$1.45 MX$25.14

-64.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱33.66

$1.09 MX$18.90

-48.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.90 ₱54.6

$4.27 MX$74.2

-78.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₱501

$14.67 MX$255

-43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₱82.1

$1.76 MX$30.68

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱93.3

$3.57 MX$62.1

-56.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.73

$0.38 MX$6.69

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 ₱52.0

$1.39 MX$24.17

-38.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱13.90

$0.30 MX$5.28

-23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ₱128

$5.41 MX$94.1

-61.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱68.8

$1.34 MX$23.30

-14.93%

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

$22.3K ₱1.4M

$18.9K MX$327.8K

18.50%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$23.2K MX$403.4K

-10.36%

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

$106 ₱6,385

$40.30 MX$701

161.86%

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

$34.24 ₱2,072

$27.15 MX$472

26.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.31 ₱2,197

$29.46 MX$512

23.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.32 ₱2,077

$52.7 MX$917

-34.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.33 ₱262

$26.17 MX$455

-83.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₱187

$6.18 MX$107

-49.84%

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

$121 ₱7,345

$441 MX$7,664

-72.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,335 ₱262.3K

$10.7K MX$186.0K

-59.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.35 ₱2,744

$57.2 MX$995

-20.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.23 ₱1,829

$45.04 MX$783

-32.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ₱4,784

$103 MX$1,799

-23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 ₱4,112

$109 MX$1,891

-37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.1K

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-73.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.5K

$632 MX$11.0K

-72.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 ₱35.1K

$2,141 MX$37.2K

-72.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ₱23.7K

$1,253 MX$21.8K

-68.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,222 ₱134.4K

$3,745 MX$65.1K

-40.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 MX$18.8K

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 Cotabato City: April 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Cotabato City and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Cotabato City vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $286 per month, with Cotabato City 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

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

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,104 in Cotabato City and $2,199 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: $266 in Cotabato City versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $736 per month in Cotabato City versus $1,466 in Mexico City – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $736 in Cotabato City versus $1,466 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $736 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cotabato City 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.