Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dipolog and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $776 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Dipolog
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Dipolog Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Dipolog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$776

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dipolog 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 Dipolog and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $776 per month in Dipolog vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dipolog $776
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Dipolog vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dipolog $1,132
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $1,488 per month in Dipolog vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Dipolog $1,488
Mexico City $3,537

Dipolog is about 54% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Dipolog sits 43% below the global median, while Mexico City is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.53 ₱97.3

$10.59 MX$197

-85.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.22 ₱1,220

$52.0 MX$967

-63.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.07 ₱195

$10.73 MX$200

-71.39%

Cappuccino

$1.55 ₱98.5

$3.80 MX$70.6

-59.21%

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

$0.37 ₱23.77

$1.61 MX$30.01

-77.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.58

$1.21 MX$22.55

-80.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₱69.3

$3.18 MX$59.1

-65.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱99.1

$5.44 MX$101

-71.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₱97.8

$1.72 MX$31.96

-10.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 ₱51.6

$2.97 MX$55.2

-72.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₱51.1

$1.93 MX$35.84

-58.03%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱124

$2.77 MX$51.6

-29.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.67 ₱296

$11.67 MX$217

-59.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 ₱290

$9.48 MX$176

-51.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 ₱350

$15.37 MX$286

-64.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.7

$3.10 MX$57.8

-50.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₱78.3

$1.96 MX$36.49

-37.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 ₱127

$1.98 MX$36.88

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ₱59.1

$2.34 MX$43.46

-60.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 ₱120

$2.02 MX$37.66

-6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₱98.8

$1.82 MX$33.95

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₱64.2

$1.54 MX$28.74

-34.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.15

$1.31 MX$24.42

-54.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 ₱172

$5.35 MX$99.6

-49.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.04 ₱256

$16.19 MX$301

-75.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₱72.4

$1.96 MX$36.46

-41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱101

$4.35 MX$81.0

-63.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.28

$0.30 MX$5.67

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.55 ₱923

$19.49 MX$363

-25.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 ₱66.4

$1.92 MX$35.68

-45.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.68

$0.47 MX$8.80

-57.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$5.41 MX$101

-65.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₱54.0

$1.48 MX$27.61

-42.57%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.4K MX$397.7K

-0.69%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$23.8K MX$442.1K

-19.42%

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

$67.9 ₱4,308

$62.0 MX$1,154

9.53%

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

$8.09 ₱513

$28.47 MX$530

-71.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.89 ₱1,516

$34.11 MX$635

-29.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.96 ₱2,028

$58.4 MX$1,087

-45.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 ₱347

$6.59 MX$123

-17.00%

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

$297 ₱18.9K

$434 MX$8,081

-31.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,827 ₱433.2K

$14.0K MX$261.2K

-51.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 ₱3,236

$68.4 MX$1,272

-25.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.96 ₱1,647

$54.8 MX$1,020

-52.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ₱5,018

$111 MX$2,063

-28.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 ₱4,236

$116 MX$2,158

-42.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 ₱26.2K

$1,179 MX$21.9K

-64.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 ₱19.8K

$771 MX$14.3K

-59.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₱48.3K

$2,570 MX$47.8K

-70.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₱30.6K

$1,420 MX$26.4K

-65.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,505 ₱222.4K

$3,586 MX$66.7K

-2.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,701 ₱171.4K

$2,064 MX$38.4K

30.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$236 ₱14.9K

$1,003 MX$18.7K

-76.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-38.33%

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

Last update for Dipolog: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dipolog

$311 40.1%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 148% $459

Groceries & Markets

Dipolog

$153 19.7%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 112% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Dipolog

$100 12.9%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 57.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dipolog

$100 12.9%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 24.7% $25

Eating Out

Dipolog

$51 6.6%

Mexico City

$201 12% 292% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Dipolog

$43 5.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 66.8% $29

Getting Around

Dipolog

$18 2.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 41.8% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $413 in Dipolog versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dipolog versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $324 – making Dipolog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dipolog

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

13:42 1:42 PM

14 h behind Dipolog

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,759

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dipolog Mexico City 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Dipolog
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

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

Mexico City costs about 116% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Dipolog and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dipolog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $413 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Dipolog and $434 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% more in Mexico City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Dipolog – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Dipolog. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.