Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Alabang

For one person, living is cheaper in Alabang: $721 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Alabang
Learn more

Alabang Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Alabang

🇵🇭 Philippines

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Alabang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Alabang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $721 in Alabang, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Alabang $721

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $1,098 in Alabang, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Alabang $1,098

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,475 in Alabang, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Alabang $1,475

Mexico City costs about 123% more than Alabang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Alabang is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$4.03 ₱257

163.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$18.49 ₱1,181

161.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$2.78 ₱178

272.30%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.37 ₱152

55.70%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.68 ₱43.36

145.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.31 ₱19.58

309.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.02 ₱65.1

212.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$1.84 ₱118

188.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.59 ₱102

8.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$1.14 ₱73.0

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.84 ₱53.8

130.95%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.78 ₱113

62.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$4.94 ₱315

122.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$3.46 ₱221

167.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$7.09 ₱453

113.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.20 ₱141

38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.41 ₱90.0

37.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.36 ₱151

-13.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.01 ₱64.4

128.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$1.72 ₱110

18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.67 ₱107

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.64 ₱41.21

131.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.52 ₱33.29

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$2.82 ₱180

87.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$7.27 ₱465

121.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$0.89 ₱56.6

122.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.81 ₱116

134.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.26 ₱16.65

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$11.17 ₱714

76.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$0.81 ₱51.5

127.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.21 ₱13.37

152.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$1.91 ₱122

177.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.21 ₱77.5

24.79%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$21.3K ₱1.4M

2.00%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

28.08%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$138 ₱8,797

-54.26%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$13.99 ₱894

95.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$22.79 ₱1,456

56.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$30.60 ₱1,955

92.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$4.61 ₱295

412.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$5.19 ₱331

23.31%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$70.7 ₱4,518

510.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$2,479 ₱158.4K

360.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$28.26 ₱1,806

141.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$19.00 ₱1,214

179.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$69.8 ₱4,458

54.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$54.3 ₱3,469

115.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$221 ₱14.1K

404.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$168 ₱10.7K

324.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$489 ₱31.3K

429.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$357 ₱22.8K

293.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$2,524 ₱161.3K

43.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,227 ₱78.4K

74.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.75

68.15%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alabang: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Alabang

$168 23.2% 76.4% $543

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Alabang

$165 22.9% 48.3% $154

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Alabang

$82 11.3% 58.8% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Alabang

$77 10.7% 50.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Alabang

$174 24.2% 38.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Alabang

$41 5.7% 42.9% $31

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Alabang

$14 2% 44.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $221 in Alabang. 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $18 in Alabang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $165 – making Alabang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Alabang

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

02:04 2:04 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

71,075

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Alabang 14,230 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Alabang

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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 123%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $1,081 in Alabang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alabang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $18 in Alabang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alabang, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Alabang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Alabang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 123% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.