Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Albay Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Albay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $788 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,218 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,648 in Albay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than in Albay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Albay is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.63 ₱222

261.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$17.76 ₱1,087

201.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.37 ₱206

176.85%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.47 ₱151

49.80%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.82 ₱50.4

95.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.37 ₱22.58

202.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.35 ₱82.5

132.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.08 ₱127

133.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.91 ₱117

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.23 ₱75.2

120.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.94 ₱57.7

103.19%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.01 ₱123

28.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.00 ₱490

22.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.32 ₱264

95.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.87 ₱482

51.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.91 ₱178

1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.52 ₱93.0

14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.59 ₱159

-21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.62 ₱99.1

27.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.31 ₱141

-6.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.63 ₱161

-14.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.11 ₱68.1

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.71 ₱43.45

57.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.89 ₱177

46.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.13 ₱498

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.16 ₱71.0

47.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.96 ₱120

85.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.28 ₱17.19

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.83 ₱51.0

66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.22 ₱13.39

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.15 ₱131

145.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.09 ₱66.8

24.77%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.9K ₱1.6M

-29.04%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$20.3K ₱1.2M

16.49%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$111 ₱6,824

-63.64%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$32.15 ₱1,968

-14.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$27.38 ₱1,676

10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$33.39 ₱2,044

56.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$4.31 ₱264

514.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.97 ₱366

3.69%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$149 ₱9,138

184.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,375 ₱267.8K

145.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$44.93 ₱2,750

29.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$26.29 ₱1,609

69.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$75.4 ₱4,615

37.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$52.5 ₱3,214

107.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$267 ₱16.3K

279.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$174 ₱10.6K

258.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$589 ₱36.0K

260.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$397 ₱24.3K

208.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,747 ₱168.1K

38.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$1,010 ₱61.8K

108.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$166 ₱10.2K

534.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Albay: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $267 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 534% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Albay 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

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

Mexico City and Albay differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $788 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 534% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $267 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $149 in Albay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Albay versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.