Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cagayan de Oro City Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cagayan de Oro City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $756 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,149 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,542 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% more expensive than in Cagayan de Oro City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Cagayan de Oro City is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.67 ₱230

230.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$12.98 ₱814

315.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$2.97 ₱186

273.40%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.31 ₱145

77.49%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.74 ₱46.57

127.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.84 ₱52.8

65.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.41 ₱88.7

136.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.00 ₱126

194.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.47 ₱91.9

25.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.85 ₱53.2

272.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.96 ₱60.0

115.63%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.09 ₱131

40.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$8.24 ₱517

52.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.20 ₱200

215.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$5.99 ₱375

168.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.15 ₱135

57.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.09 ₱68.2

90.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.77 ₱174

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.16 ₱72.6

107.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.24 ₱141

-4.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$2.62 ₱164

-23.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.83 ₱52.1

86.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.46 ₱28.63

195.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.83 ₱177

103.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$3.92 ₱245

352.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.63 ₱102

26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.88 ₱118

145.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.39 ₱24.28

-5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$9.52 ₱597

122.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.61 ₱38.35

236.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.23 ₱14.43

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.43 ₱152

149.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.01 ₱63.2

53.47%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

10.71%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

38.70%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$135 ₱8,439

-49.93%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$22.79 ₱1,429

34.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$30.99 ₱1,943

20.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$20.28 ₱1,271

203.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$2.85 ₱179

851.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.35 ₱273

63.45%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$66.8 ₱4,189

582.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$2,217 ₱139.0K

517.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$32.37 ₱2,030

129.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$13.26 ₱831

329.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$51.1 ₱3,201

126.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$40.64 ₱2,548

198.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$386 ₱24.2K

197.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$223 ₱14.0K

217.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$699 ₱43.8K

268.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$448 ₱28.1K

189.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,613 ₱101.1K

148.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$940 ₱59.0K

126.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$305 ₱19.1K

255.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cagayan de Oro City: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $386 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 255% 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 $13.00 in Cagayan de Oro City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $169 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Cagayan de Oro City differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $756 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 255% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $386 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.