Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $618 in General Santos versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,007 in General Santos versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,396 in General Santos versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in General Santos costs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: General Santos is 55% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 ₱214

$12.11 MX$206

-71.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.30 ₱1,707

$52.2 MX$887

-47.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱173

$10.90 MX$185

-74.68%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₱163

$4.05 MX$68.8

-35.56%

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

$0.30 ₱18.85

$1.72 MX$29.13

-82.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₱15.70

$1.38 MX$23.40

-81.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱99.1

$3.47 MX$58.9

-54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱147

$5.81 MX$98.7

-59.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₱126

$1.85 MX$31.48

8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$3.22 MX$54.7

-64.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱54.9

$2.09 MX$35.42

-57.89%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱121

$2.91 MX$49.41

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 ₱414

$12.49 MX$212

-47.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 ₱260

$10.11 MX$172

-58.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.73 ₱546

$15.89 MX$270

-45.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 ₱168

$3.31 MX$56.3

-18.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ₱70.0

$2.13 MX$36.12

-47.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$2.19 MX$37.20

6.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 ₱75.7

$2.45 MX$41.57

-50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 ₱130

$2.19 MX$37.18

-5.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 ₱194

$1.90 MX$32.35

63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱74.7

$1.62 MX$27.44

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.43

$1.35 MX$22.92

-51.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 ₱151

$5.43 MX$92.1

-55.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 ₱503

$17.59 MX$299

-54.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₱78.8

$2.07 MX$35.12

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱99.9

$4.75 MX$80.6

-66.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₱25.86

$0.34 MX$5.77

20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 ₱513

$21.58 MX$366

-62.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.1

$2.04 MX$34.65

-59.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.37

$0.58 MX$9.82

-60.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.0

$5.97 MX$101

-86.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₱66.7

$1.62 MX$27.44

-33.95%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$22.8K MX$387.4K

-8.72%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$26.7K MX$452.8K

-29.97%

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

$75.1 ₱4,696

$65.2 MX$1,108

15.11%

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

$6.50 ₱406

$29.87 MX$507

-78.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.86 ₱1,992

$36.55 MX$621

-12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,036

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 ₱296

$6.85 MX$116

-30.95%

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

$108 ₱6,772

$453 MX$7,700

-76.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,671 ₱479.7K

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-42.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 ₱3,896

$75.0 MX$1,273

-16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.97 ₱1,686

$55.3 MX$939

-51.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,454

$114 MX$1,929

-37.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.1 ₱3,822

$123 MX$2,083

-50.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₱11.1K

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-84.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₱6,973

$712 MX$12.1K

-84.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 ₱23.0K

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-85.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₱15.1K

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-81.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

11.3

-26.46%

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

Last update for General Santos: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in General Santos and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in General Santos vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $345 per month, with General Santos 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

General Santos vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 166% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making General Santos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $927 in General Santos and $2,469 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: $178 in General Santos versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in General Santos – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $618 per month in General Santos versus $1,646 in Mexico City – a 166% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $618 in General Santos versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in General Santos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes General Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but General Santos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $618 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes General Santos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, General Santos 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 General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.