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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $602 in Bataan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $994 in Bataan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,386 in Bataan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 144% more expensive than in Bataan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Bataan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$229

$1.44 ₱88.6

812.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$934

$17.43 ₱1,070

207.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$163

$2.99 ₱184

212.04%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.5

$1.48 ₱91.1

150.00%

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

$1.60 MX$27.98

$0.81 ₱49.60

97.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.49

$0.26 ₱15.94

330.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.48 ₱90.6

112.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.5

$2.60 ₱160

86.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.84

$1.79 ₱110

-7.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.34

$1.44 ₱88.5

88.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.29

$0.99 ₱60.8

92.93%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.17

$2.01 ₱123

28.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$171

$8.10 ₱497

21.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.04 ₱248

108.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$208

$10.79 ₱662

10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$2.88 ₱177

2.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.35

$2.08 ₱128

-16.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.66

$3.64 ₱223

-43.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.93

$1.46 ₱89.5

41.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.49

$1.45 ₱88.9

48.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.33

$2.53 ₱155

-10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.08 ₱66.1

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.47

$0.55 ₱33.50

103.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.6

$2.44 ₱150

72.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$305

$8.89 ₱546

96.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.82

$1.08 ₱66.6

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$63.4

$2.50 ₱154

45.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.15

$0.26 ₱15.93

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

$4.20 ₱258

360.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$0.83 ₱51.1

66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.81

$0.22 ₱13.44

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$92.0

$2.14 ₱132

146.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.69

$1.17 ₱71.7

16.24%

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

$19.1K MX$333.2K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

-32.21%

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$28.7K ₱1.8M

-17.80%

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

$40.53 MX$707

$53.1 ₱3,260

-23.67%

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

$27.38 MX$478

$23.13 ₱1,420

18.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$530

$26.33 ₱1,617

15.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$911

$34.38 ₱2,111

51.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$462

$4.54 ₱279

483.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$108

$6.31 ₱387

-1.90%

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

$425 MX$7,414

$74.4 ₱4,570

471.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$187.2K

$4,358 ₱267.6K

146.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,017

$46.59 ₱2,860

25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$777

$34.10 ₱2,094

30.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,805

$69.0 ₱4,235

50.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,897

$116 ₱7,099

-5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.7K

$98.5 ₱6,046

929.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$57.9 ₱3,555

975.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$37.0K

$315 ₱19.3K

573.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.3K

$170 ₱10.4K

620.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$66.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

$407 ₱25.0K

158.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.17

83.79%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Bataan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $98.5 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 159% 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 $17.00 in Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $218 per month, with Bataan 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 Bataan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 159% 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 $98.5 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $602 in Bataan versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bataan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bataan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bataan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.