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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $731 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,129 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,527 in Butuan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 101% more expensive than Butuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Butuan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.41 ₱272

198.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$16.09 ₱992

234.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$2.33 ₱144

304.29%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.63 ₱100

117.79%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.33 ₱20.25

390.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.31 ₱19.22

258.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.16 ₱71.8

168.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.81 ₱112

155.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.65 ₱102

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.03 ₱63.8

164.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.99 ₱61.1

92.93%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.98 ₱122

28.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.73 ₱353

75.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.62 ₱223

123.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.37 ₱454

57.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.38 ₱85.1

115.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.55 ₱33.96

229.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$0.87 ₱53.8

131.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.40 ₱86.6

45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.20 ₱136

-3.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$3.19 ₱197

-28.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.38 ₱85.3

1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.52 ₱32.27

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.44 ₱150

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.29 ₱511

87.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.72 ₱44.55

144.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$0.87 ₱53.5

313.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.28 ₱17.34

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.76 ₱46.67

81.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.25 ₱15.46

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.15 ₱132

153.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.14 ₱70.2

14.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.3K ₱1.4M

-16.26%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

10.83%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$106 ₱6,539

-61.47%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$33.91 ₱2,091

-20.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$35.49 ₱2,188

-15.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.79 ₱2,084

53.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.32 ₱266

521.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.38 ₱270

43.84%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$72.1 ₱4,443

505.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,766 ₱108.9K

489.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$45.95 ₱2,834

23.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$10.10 ₱623

339.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$70.9 ₱4,370

45.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$68.0 ₱4,191

55.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$262 ₱16.2K

289.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$176 ₱10.8K

258.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$591 ₱36.5K

261.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$397 ₱24.5K

212.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,749 ₱169.5K

41.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,070 ₱66.0K

92.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Butuan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $262 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 $288 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 101% 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 $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,097 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $262 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $72.1 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 $731 in Butuan versus $1,467 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 $731 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 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.