Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bataan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bataan: $484 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Bataan
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Bataan Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Bataan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$484

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bataan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $484 in Bataan.

Mexico City $1,608
Bataan $484

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $808 in Bataan.

Mexico City $2,549
Bataan $808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,132 in Bataan.

Mexico City $3,490
Bataan $1,132

Living in Mexico City is roughly 232% more expensive than in Bataan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Bataan is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$1.35 ₱86.6

686.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$16.58 ₱1,059

191.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$2.67 ₱171

287.64%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$1.30 ₱83.1

183.85%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.58 ₱37.13

187.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.22 ₱14.03

477.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.00 ₱63.8

219.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$1.55 ₱99.0

242.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.57 ₱100

9.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$1.10 ₱70.4

176.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.01 ₱64.6

92.08%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.75 ₱112

65.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$5.10 ₱326

115.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$2.95 ₱189

213.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$7.61 ₱486

98.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.24 ₱143

36.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.52 ₱97.3

27.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.26 ₱144

-10.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$1.06 ₱67.4

117.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$1.65 ₱105

23.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.67 ₱107

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$0.60 ₱38.38

146.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.52 ₱33.50

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$2.18 ₱139

143.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$8.40 ₱537

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$0.97 ₱61.7

104.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$2.02 ₱129

110.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

$0.24 ₱15.22

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$11.16 ₱713

76.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$0.75 ₱48.08

145.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.24 ₱15.37

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$1.84 ₱117

188.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.03 ₱66.0

46.60%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

5.34%

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

28.54%

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$47.28 ₱3,021

33.21%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$17.49 ₱1,117

56.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$22.85 ₱1,460

56.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$31.23 ₱1,996

88.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$5.61 ₱359

321.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$5.01 ₱320

27.74%

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

$432 MX$8,045

$65.6 ₱4,190

558.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$10.7K ₱683.0K

6.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

$27.82 ₱1,778

145.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$19.07 ₱1,218

178.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

$69.2 ₱4,422

55.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

$55.8 ₱3,565

110.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$161 ₱10.3K

592.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$50.0 ₱3,197

1319.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$274 ₱17.5K

844.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$177 ₱11.3K

692.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

$2,553 ₱163.1K

42.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,066 ₱68.1K

100.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$389 ₱24.9K

143.26%

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 Bataan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Bataan

$50 10.3% 93% $660

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Bataan

$168 34.7% 47.4% $152

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Bataan

$46 9.5% 77% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Bataan

$77 16% 50.4% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Bataan

$88 18.1% 30.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Bataan

$41 8.5% 42.5% $30

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Bataan

$14 2.9% 44.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $161 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.4 times 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $17 in Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $168 per month, with Bataan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Bataan

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

06:11 6:11 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

6,743

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Bataan 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Bataan

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 Bataan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 2.4 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $161 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% 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 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $484 in Bataan versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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.

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 Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.