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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $579 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $903 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,227 in Butuan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 189% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Butuan is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$4.69 ₱292

158.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$26.84 ₱1,674

100.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$2.33 ₱145

375.97%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$2.12 ₱132

93.40%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.31 ₱19.11

441.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.23 ₱14.27

504.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$1.56 ₱97.1

113.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$2.33 ₱145

152.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$1.95 ₱122

-5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$1.09 ₱68.2

190.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$0.94 ₱58.5

120.21%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$1.93 ₱120

51.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.79 ₱423

85.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.30 ₱268

135.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$8.69 ₱542

85.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$2.59 ₱162

30.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$1.08 ₱67.2

92.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$2.28 ₱142

-7.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$1.20 ₱75.0

100.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$2.10 ₱131

1.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$3.61 ₱225

-44.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$1.19 ₱74.1

30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$0.66 ₱41.22

106.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$2.50 ₱156

130.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$7.90 ₱492

124.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.24 ₱77.3

66.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$1.53 ₱95.7

201.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$0.83 ₱51.6

146.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.25 ₱15.69

132.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$1.94 ₱121

212.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.09 ₱67.8

42.20%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

8.47%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

42.67%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$106 ₱6,632

-36.61%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$19.04 ₱1,187

60.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$31.42 ₱1,959

18.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$24.08 ₱1,501

155.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$4.37 ₱273

62.70%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$108 ₱6,746

321.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$7,486 ₱466.8K

82.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$61.6 ₱3,843

20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$27.03 ₱1,686

110.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$72.6 ₱4,524

59.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$60.7 ₱3,784

100.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.31

35.98%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Butuan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $196 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 189% 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 $2,515 in Mexico City and $869 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.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $108 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 $27.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $579 in Butuan versus $1,677 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 $579 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 189% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.