Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dasmarinas and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dasmarinas: $496 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dasmarinas
Learn more

Dasmarinas Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dasmarinas and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dasmarinas and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $496 in Dasmarinas versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Dasmarinas $496
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $738 in Dasmarinas versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Dasmarinas $738
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $980 in Dasmarinas versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Dasmarinas $980
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Dasmarinas costs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dasmarinas is 63% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ₱257

$11.02 MX$204

-62.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.95 ₱1,067

$48.68 MX$900

-65.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱171

$10.90 MX$201

-75.14%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ₱110

$3.68 MX$68.1

-52.45%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$1.63 MX$30.18

-65.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.30

$1.25 MX$23.07

-75.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ₱60.1

$3.25 MX$60.1

-70.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱99.4

$5.53 MX$102

-71.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$1.70 MX$31.50

-18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$3.02 MX$55.8

-63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.36

$1.92 MX$35.53

-65.62%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱113

$2.73 MX$50.5

-34.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$11.77 MX$218

-58.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱219

$9.53 MX$176

-63.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.72 ₱297

$14.41 MX$266

-67.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$3.02 MX$55.8

-25.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.89 MX$35.01

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.99 MX$36.70

19.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.3

$2.19 MX$40.38

-51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.92 MX$35.43

-8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$1.87 MX$34.49

-8.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.39

$1.44 MX$26.62

-57.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.54

$1.27 MX$23.39

-59.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₱181

$5.22 MX$96.4

-44.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₱541

$16.17 MX$299

-46.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱58.5

$1.90 MX$35.03

-51.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$4.22 MX$78.0

-52.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.96

$2.00 MX$36.90

-61.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.52 MX$9.67

-51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$5.34 MX$98.7

-65.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱70.1

$1.52 MX$28.13

-26.97%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$22.1K MX$408.0K

-3.11%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$24.5K MX$452.9K

-22.86%

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

$48.45 ₱3,050

$61.1 MX$1,129

-20.66%

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

$17.55 ₱1,105

$28.58 MX$528

-38.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.72 ₱1,494

$34.47 MX$637

-31.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.43 ₱2,105

$56.4 MX$1,042

-40.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₱334

$6.66 MX$123

-20.42%

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

$134 ₱8,415

$427 MX$7,891

-68.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱674.0K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

-8.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.53 ₱1,796

$67.8 MX$1,253

-57.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.55 ₱1,231

$52.0 MX$960

-62.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ₱4,561

$106 MX$1,959

-31.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,552

$113 MX$2,080

-49.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.95 ₱2,956

$654 MX$12.1K

-92.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 ₱22.2K

$964 MX$17.8K

-63.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

11.3

-43.36%

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

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dasmarinas

$160 32.3%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 98.6% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dasmarinas

$90 18.1%

Mexico City

$124 8% 38.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Dasmarinas

$80 16.1%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 91.2% $73

Eating Out

Dasmarinas

$73 14.8%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 178% $131

Accommodation & Living

Dasmarinas

$47 9.5%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 1294% $607

Sport & Entertainment

Dasmarinas

$44 8.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 58.3% $26

Getting Around

Dasmarinas

$2 * 0.4%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 1163% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 173% 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: $17.00 in Dasmarinas vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $318 per month, with Dasmarinas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dasmarinas

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

16:54 4:54 PM

14 h behind Dasmarinas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

659,019

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dasmarinas Mexico City 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Dasmarinas
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Dasmarinas and Mexico City differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($496 vs $1,548 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 173% 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.

Childcare runs $134 in Dasmarinas versus $427 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 Dasmarinas – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $496 in Dasmarinas versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dasmarinas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Dasmarinas 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.

Safety-wise, Dasmarinas 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 Dasmarinas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.