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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $785 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,413 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,041 in Boracay.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Boracay is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.13 ₱193

321.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$21.30 ₱1,314

153.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.91 ₱303

91.85%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.36 ₱146

50.42%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$1.23 ₱75.8

31.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.28 ₱17.46

296.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$1.30 ₱80.2

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$2.11 ₱130

119.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$1.75 ₱108

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.22 ₱75.1

122.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$0.85 ₱52.4

124.71%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.64 ₱163

-3.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.83 ₱483

28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.30 ₱266

88.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.49 ₱462

55.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.98 ₱184

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.47 ₱90.6

23.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.58 ₱159

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.43 ₱88.3

41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.76 ₱108

20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.62 ₱162

-13.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$1.07 ₱66.1

30.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.71 ₱44.01

59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$3.81 ₱235

12.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$7.95 ₱491

95.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.15 ₱71.2

53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.96 ₱121

83.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.36 ₱22.51

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.81 ₱49.99

70.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.22 ₱13.57

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$2.19 ₱135

148.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.26 ₱77.9

3.17%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

-29.13%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

12.87%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$114 ₱7,039

-64.18%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$8.80 ₱543

204.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$38.04 ₱2,347

-21.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$52.2 ₱3,218

-0.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$4.52 ₱279

493.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.12 ₱254

52.91%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$155 ₱9,537

182.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$3,962 ₱244.5K

162.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$46.06 ₱2,842

22.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$26.47 ₱1,633

67.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$76.0 ₱4,689

35.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$53.0 ₱3,269

99.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$269 ₱16.6K

280.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$174 ₱10.8K

261.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$583 ₱35.9K

266.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$758 ₱46.8K

63.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,470 ₱152.4K

58.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$983 ₱60.7K

109.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$235 ₱14.5K

375.32%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Boracay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $269 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 375% 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 $21.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $201 per month, with Boracay 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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Boracay differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $785 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 375% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $269 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $155 in Boracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Boracay versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Boracay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Boracay 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.