Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $730 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in El Nido vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

El Nido $730
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $1,156 per month in El Nido vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

El Nido $1,156
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in El Nido vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

El Nido $1,582
Mexico City $3,490

El Nido is about 55% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Nido sits 46% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 ₱247

$10.62 MX$198

-63.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ₱1,939

$48.35 MX$901

-37.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 ₱230

$10.35 MX$193

-65.22%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱140

$3.69 MX$68.8

-40.65%

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

$1.14 ₱73.1

$1.67 MX$31.07

-31.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱20.08

$1.27 MX$23.59

-75.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱78.5

$3.19 MX$59.5

-61.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱119

$5.31 MX$98.9

-64.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.72 MX$32.15

6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱65.3

$3.04 MX$56.7

-66.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$1.94 MX$36.19

-34.54%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱118

$2.89 MX$53.8

-35.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 ₱379

$10.97 MX$205

-45.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ₱248

$9.25 MX$172

-58.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 ₱432

$15.13 MX$282

-55.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱147

$3.05 MX$56.8

-24.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱103

$1.94 MX$36.19

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.03 MX$37.75

11.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$2.31 MX$43.15

-51.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$2.04 MX$37.94

0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.80 MX$33.55

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.48 MX$27.58

-22.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱36.03

$1.27 MX$23.63

-55.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱186

$5.30 MX$98.9

-44.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₱529

$16.10 MX$300

-48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.2

$1.98 MX$36.97

-53.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱114

$4.25 MX$79.3

-58.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.10

$0.31 MX$5.69

-29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.54 ₱865

$19.73 MX$368

-31.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.41

$1.84 MX$34.25

-58.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$0.53 MX$9.94

-58.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₱127

$5.30 MX$98.7

-62.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.3

$1.51 MX$28.16

-15.89%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$21.8K MX$405.5K

-12.63%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$24.0K MX$447.1K

-15.59%

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

$125 ₱8,015

$63.0 MX$1,174

99.19%

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

$16.25 ₱1,038

$27.39 MX$511

-40.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 ₱1,500

$35.67 MX$665

-34.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ₱2,012

$58.9 MX$1,099

-46.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.99 ₱319

$23.64 MX$441

-78.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱324

$6.40 MX$119

-20.78%

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

$144 ₱9,190

$432 MX$8,045

-66.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,421 ₱538.1K

$11.4K MX$212.9K

-26.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.73 ₱2,155

$68.2 MX$1,272

-50.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,238

$53.1 MX$990

-63.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,190

$108 MX$2,009

-39.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 ₱3,980

$117 MX$2,186

-46.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-77.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.2K

$710 MX$13.2K

-77.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₱32.4K

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.9K

$1,406 MX$26.2K

-74.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,535 ₱161.9K

$3,631 MX$67.7K

-30.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₱67.3K

$2,135 MX$39.8K

-50.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ₱15.7K

$946 MX$17.6K

-73.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

11.35

-39.03%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$181 24.8%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 76.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$165 22.6%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 23.7% $39

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$160 22%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 343% $550

Eating Out

El Nido

$84 11.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 137% $115

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$81 11.2%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 91.4% $74

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$42 5.7%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 72.3% $30

Getting Around

El Nido

$16 2.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 56.3% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in El Nido versus $1,113 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 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in El Nido versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $320 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

12:05 12:05 PM

14 h behind El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Nido Mexico City 14,590 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $730 in El Nido, $1,608 in Mexico City – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,094 per month in El Nido and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 31% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $144 per month in El Nido and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Nido – 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 El Nido. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.