Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Island Garden City of Samal and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $870 a month against $1,683 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$870

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $870 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $1,683 in Mexico City, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $870
Mexico City $1,683

A couple spends around $1,181 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $2,610 in Mexico City, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,181
Mexico City $2,610

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,492
Mexico City $3,537

Island Garden City of Samal is about 48% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Island Garden City of Samal sits 36% below the global median, while Mexico City is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 ₱349

$10.98 MX$204

-49.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.51 ₱1,294

$51.9 MX$962

-60.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.89 ₱245

$10.54 MX$195

-63.09%

Cappuccino

$2.24 ₱141

$3.67 MX$68.0

-38.96%

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

$1.02 ₱64.5

$1.66 MX$30.78

-38.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱37.89

$1.21 MX$22.49

-50.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ₱90.2

$3.20 MX$59.3

-55.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$5.34 MX$99.0

-59.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₱130

$1.71 MX$31.76

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱72.4

$2.95 MX$54.7

-61.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱57.0

$1.95 MX$36.05

-53.85%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.84 MX$52.7

-28.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 ₱430

$11.86 MX$220

-42.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 ₱323

$9.31 MX$173

-44.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.22 ₱456

$15.38 MX$285

-53.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ₱156

$3.13 MX$58.0

-21.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₱78.4

$2.00 MX$37.01

-38.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$1.98 MX$36.77

23.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.2

$2.35 MX$43.62

-45.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 ₱133

$1.98 MX$36.79

6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$1.88 MX$34.76

-18.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₱55.9

$1.52 MX$28.25

-41.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱45.29

$1.28 MX$23.80

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 ₱159

$5.16 MX$95.6

-51.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 ₱364

$16.13 MX$299

-64.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₱78.5

$2.07 MX$38.29

-40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₱98.1

$4.46 MX$82.6

-65.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.93

$0.33 MX$6.13

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.93 ₱878

$19.52 MX$362

-28.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.2

$1.84 MX$34.02

-56.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.88

$0.48 MX$8.81

-54.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$5.50 MX$102

-66.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.53 MX$28.37

-19.61%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$21.7K MX$403.1K

-1.02%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$23.9K MX$442.8K

-18.35%

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

$106 ₱6,690

$62.2 MX$1,152

70.62%

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

$18.77 ₱1,183

$28.51 MX$528

-34.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.91 ₱1,949

$33.82 MX$627

-8.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.70 ₱2,125

$55.1 MX$1,021

-38.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.97 ₱566

$19.93 MX$369

-54.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 ₱293

$6.53 MX$121

-28.79%

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

$23.69 ₱1,494

$428 MX$7,941

-94.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,917 ₱499.3K

$14.2K MX$263.4K

-44.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₱3,250

$70.0 MX$1,297

-26.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.65 ₱1,744

$54.2 MX$1,004

-48.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 ₱4,923

$109 MX$2,023

-28.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.71 ₱3,135

$117 MX$2,171

-57.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₱23.1K

$1,153 MX$21.4K

-68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.0K

$782 MX$14.5K

-65.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 ₱58.1K

$2,587 MX$47.9K

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₱30.5K

$1,438 MX$26.6K

-66.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,913 ₱246.7K

$3,556 MX$65.9K

10.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,081 ₱131.2K

$2,152 MX$39.9K

-3.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

11.35

-31.72%

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

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: November 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 8, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Island Garden City of Samal

$270 31.1%

Mexico City

$782 46.5% 190% $512

Groceries & Markets

Island Garden City of Samal

$190 21.9%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 70.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Island Garden City of Samal

$156 17.9%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 20.1% $31

Eating Out

Island Garden City of Samal

$101 11.6%

Mexico City

$202 12% 100% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Island Garden City of Samal

$93 10.7%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 69.3% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Island Garden City of Samal

$43 4.9%

Mexico City

$68 4.1% 58.4% $25

Getting Around

Island Garden City of Samal

$17 1.9%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 49.4% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Island Garden City of Samal 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $324 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

14 h behind Island Garden City of Samal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,771

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 = 5.4 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.06 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.53 MXN (100 MXN = 5.4 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Island Garden City of Samal Mexico City 14,290 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Island Garden City of Samal
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

Island Garden City of Samal vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 94% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,305 per month in Island Garden City of Samal and $2,525 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $870 in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,683 in Mexico City. That makes Island Garden City of Samal about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $870 in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,683 in Mexico City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Island Garden City of Samal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 48% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.