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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $734 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,121 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,507 in Butuan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 98% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Butuan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.51 ₱278

189.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$16.09 ₱991

234.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$2.37 ₱146

308.44%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$1.62 ₱99.8

130.86%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.33 ₱20.25

390.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.31 ₱19.13

274.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.22 ₱75.1

164.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$1.80 ₱111

163.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.67 ₱103

-1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.07 ₱66.0

157.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$0.92 ₱56.9

103.26%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.08 ₱128

20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.74 ₱353

77.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$3.62 ₱223

127.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.28 ₱448

62.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$1.45 ₱89.1

107.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$0.52 ₱31.95

248.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$0.90 ₱55.6

122.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.41 ₱87.0

41.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$2.18 ₱134

-4.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$3.16 ₱195

-28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$1.32 ₱81.1

10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.57 ₱35.24

89.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$2.41 ₱149

80.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$7.92 ₱488

114.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$0.72 ₱44.55

140.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$0.92 ₱56.8

289.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.26 ₱15.84

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$0.70 ₱43.24

90.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$0.25 ₱15.46

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$2.14 ₱132

145.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.15 ₱70.5

16.52%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$21.9K ₱1.3M

-11.21%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

13.72%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$105 ₱6,457

-61.20%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$33.60 ₱2,069

-20.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$36.43 ₱2,243

-16.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$34.40 ₱2,118

53.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$4.46 ₱275

497.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.46 ₱275

45.96%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$69.6 ₱4,283

515.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$1,787 ₱110.0K

487.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$45.25 ₱2,786

26.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$10.00 ₱615

355.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$71.1 ₱4,380

46.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$69.4 ₱4,274

55.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$269 ₱16.6K

272.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$174 ₱10.7K

257.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$592 ₱36.5K

256.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$394 ₱24.2K

209.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.56

18.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Butuan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $269 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $164 per month, with Butuan 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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,102 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $269 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $69.6 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $734 in Butuan versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.