Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Boracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $767 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
Learn more

Boracay Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$767

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $767 in Boracay.

Mexico City $1,548
Boracay $767

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,309 in Boracay.

Mexico City $2,436
Boracay $1,309

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $1,852 in Boracay.

Mexico City $3,323
Boracay $1,852

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Boracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Boracay is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$5.41 ₱341

103.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$19.31 ₱1,216

152.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$5.92 ₱373

84.12%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.34 ₱147

57.26%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.65 ₱41.15

150.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.23 ₱14.45

443.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$1.16 ₱73.1

180.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$1.88 ₱118

194.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$2.84 ₱179

-40.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.21 ₱76.3

149.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$0.91 ₱57.4

110.99%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.89 ₱119

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$5.35 ₱337

120.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$4.69 ₱295

103.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$7.68 ₱484

87.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.64 ₱166

14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.56 ₱98.0

21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.62 ₱165

-24.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.27 ₱79.7

72.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.83 ₱115

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.72 ₱108

8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.89 ₱56.3

61.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.51 ₱31.88

149.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$2.28 ₱144

128.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$7.74 ₱487

108.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.05 ₱66.0

80.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.05 ₱129

105.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$0.26 ₱16.36

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$11.28 ₱710

74.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$0.77 ₱48.21

159.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.19 ₱11.90

173.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$1.82 ₱114

193.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.12 ₱70.5

35.71%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

7.59%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$17.4K ₱1.1M

40.77%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$109 ₱6,893

-44.21%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$14.77 ₱930

93.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$34.01 ₱2,141

1.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$35.58 ₱2,240

58.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$5.31 ₱334

368.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$5.03 ₱317

32.41%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$113 ₱7,126

277.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$7,986 ₱502.8K

45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$32.97 ₱2,076

105.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$20.20 ₱1,272

157.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$64.0 ₱4,031

65.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$53.1 ₱3,345

111.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$263 ₱16.6K

289.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$173 ₱10.9K

278.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$520 ₱32.7K

343.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$619 ₱39.0K

100.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,427 ₱152.8K

48.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$996 ₱62.7K

94.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$226 ₱14.2K

327.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.79

66.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Boracay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Boracay

$173 22.5% 73.6% $481

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Boracay

$197 25.7% 38.1% $121

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Boracay

$102 13.3% 49.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Boracay

$77 10% 49.7% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Boracay

$158 20.6% 27.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Boracay

$46 6% 34.5% $24

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Boracay

$14 1.8% 45.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $263 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 327% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $197 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Boracay

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

21:34 9:34 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

12,296

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Boracay 14,320 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Boracay

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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Boracay differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $767 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 327% 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $263 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $767 in Boracay versus $1,548 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 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.