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: $701 in General Santos versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,078 in General Santos versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,455 in General Santos versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in General Santos costs roughly 52% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: General Santos is 48% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ₱275

$13.18 MX$228

-66.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.55 ₱650

$53.9 MX$932

-80.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.84 ₱175

$9.42 MX$163

-69.85%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ₱127

$3.55 MX$61.4

-41.97%

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

$0.36 ₱21.95

$1.62 MX$27.98

-77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₱18.33

$1.11 MX$19.27

-72.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱69.5

$3.12 MX$54.0

-63.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱56.2

$4.63 MX$80.1

-80.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 ₱86.2

$1.70 MX$29.43

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₱57.3

$2.72 MX$47.02

-65.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₱52.3

$1.91 MX$33.07

-55.50%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱127

$2.54 MX$43.86

-18.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 ₱379

$10.03 MX$174

-38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ₱185

$8.09 MX$140

-62.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 ₱394

$11.62 MX$201

-45.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₱183

$2.97 MX$51.3

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ₱70.6

$1.81 MX$31.24

-37.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ₱142

$2.01 MX$34.82

14.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₱26.29

$2.03 MX$35.20

-78.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱56.9

$2.12 MX$36.75

-56.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 ₱193

$2.27 MX$39.25

38.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₱63.7

$1.40 MX$24.22

-26.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱36.94

$1.13 MX$19.55

-46.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 ₱134

$4.27 MX$73.9

-49.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 ₱504

$15.56 MX$269

-47.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₱67.0

$1.76 MX$30.39

-38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₱92.6

$3.60 MX$62.2

-58.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₱20.82

$0.38 MX$6.62

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.93 ₱550

$19.18 MX$332

-53.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱50.6

$1.38 MX$23.79

-40.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 ₱9.83

$0.28 MX$4.78

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ₱81.0

$5.45 MX$94.2

-75.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱67.7

$1.30 MX$22.55

-15.38%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

10.13%

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

$20.5K ₱1.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-11.35%

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

$74.6 ₱4,601

$40.86 MX$707

82.62%

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

$34.23 ₱2,111

$26.81 MX$464

27.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.19 ₱2,231

$29.96 MX$518

20.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.55 ₱2,069

$52.0 MX$900

-35.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.75 ₱108

$26.84 MX$464

-93.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 ₱192

$6.30 MX$109

-50.63%

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

$58.8 ₱3,628

$436 MX$7,544

-86.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,404 ₱86.5K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-86.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.99 ₱2,774

$56.7 MX$980

-20.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.05 ₱990

$44.38 MX$768

-63.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₱4,293

$103 MX$1,780

-32.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 ₱4,234

$106 MX$1,825

-34.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱16.7K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-73.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₱11.0K

$631 MX$10.9K

-71.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₱36.0K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-72.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₱24.0K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-68.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.34

-42.68%

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

Last update for General Santos: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in General Santos and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in General Santos vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $288 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 109% 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 $1,052 in General Santos and $2,201 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: $271 in General Santos versus $1,022 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 $11.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $701 per month in General Santos versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $701 in General Santos versus $1,467 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 $701 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 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.