Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $948 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Manila vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Manila $948
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Manila vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Manila $1,508
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $2,068 per month in Manila vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Manila $2,068
Mexico City $3,333

Manila is about 40% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Manila sits 30% below the global median, while Mexico City is 16% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 ₱344

$10.75 MX$199

-49.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.93 ₱1,696

$50.3 MX$929

-46.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$11.10 MX$205

-64.86%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$3.68 MX$68.1

-28.80%

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

$1.36 ₱85.6

$1.65 MX$30.42

-17.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱52.3

$1.30 MX$24.08

-36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.9

$3.32 MX$61.3

-63.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₱146

$5.54 MX$102

-58.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.77 MX$32.68

10.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.2

$3.05 MX$56.4

-53.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱65.5

$2.01 MX$37.20

-48.26%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱140

$2.77 MX$51.1

-19.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$11.91 MX$220

-35.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱309

$9.33 MX$172

-47.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 ₱448

$15.02 MX$278

-52.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ₱204

$3.08 MX$56.8

4.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.95 MX$35.97

-1.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 ₱185

$2.03 MX$37.54

44.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱113

$2.21 MX$40.92

-19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.02 MX$37.41

14.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$1.82 MX$33.67

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₱133

$1.52 MX$28.07

39.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.27

$1.28 MX$23.65

-53.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱200

$5.27 MX$97.4

-39.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 ₱618

$16.12 MX$298

-39.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₱84.2

$1.95 MX$36.05

-31.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

$4.25 MX$78.6

-52.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.49

$0.31 MX$5.82

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 ₱791

$19.85 MX$367

-36.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.09

$2.00 MX$36.93

-63.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$0.53 MX$9.86

-60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$5.62 MX$104

-66.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.7

$1.52 MX$28.07

-15.79%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$21.0K MX$388.7K

1.59%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-23.34%

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

$124 ₱7,826

$62.5 MX$1,155

98.82%

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

$15.73 ₱991

$28.77 MX$532

-45.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 ₱1,537

$34.45 MX$637

-29.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 ₱2,728

$57.1 MX$1,055

-24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 ₱365

$24.81 MX$458

-76.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ₱426

$6.67 MX$123

1.35%

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

$630 ₱39.7K

$431 MX$7,964

46.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,004 ₱567.2K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-23.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 ₱3,670

$70.8 MX$1,308

-17.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.34 ₱1,722

$51.8 MX$958

-47.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,760

$109 MX$2,011

-30.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.6 ₱3,566

$112 MX$2,076

-49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₱33.8K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-48.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.9K

$665 MX$12.3K

-57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 ₱118.0K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-20.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₱41.2K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-46.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 ₱279.6K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

24.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,530 ₱159.3K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

27.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$975 MX$18.0K

-52.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

11.3

-34.25%

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

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$284 29.9%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 134% $381

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$222 23.5%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 45.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$164 17.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 23.5% $39

Eating Out

Manila

$106 11.2%

Mexico City

$203 13% 90.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$98 10.3%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 57.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 23.9% $14

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 59% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Manila versus $1,051 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 run about 109% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Manila versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $323 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

04:32 4:32 AM

14 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

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 = 5.41 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Mexico City 14,220 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $948 in Manila, $1,567 in Mexico City – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Manila and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $948 in Manila and $1,567 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 65%.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $948, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $948 in Manila to $1,567 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Manila. 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.