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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $723 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,179 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,636 in Calamba.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 103% more expensive than Calamba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Calamba is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.58 ₱221

268.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$13.48 ₱831

299.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$2.58 ₱159

265.12%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.35 ₱145

51.06%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.69 ₱42.53

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.40 ₱24.83

177.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.00 ₱61.9

212.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.98 ₱122

133.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.85 ₱114

-8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.21 ₱74.5

124.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.08 ₱66.4

76.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.20 ₱136

15.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.44 ₱582

6.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.71 ₱229

118.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.67 ₱535

34.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.71 ₱167

9.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.78 ₱110

1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.36 ₱146

-14.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.22 ₱75.2

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.83 ₱113

15.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.19 ₱135

3.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.68 ₱42.15

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.77 ₱47.33

46.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.30 ₱203

29.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.66 ₱534

79.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.03 ₱63.3

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.34 ₱144

53.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 ₱15.98

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.90 ₱55.8

53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.22 ₱13.54

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.41 ₱149

126.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.12 ₱69.1

16.07%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$31.3K ₱1.9M

-40.28%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.1K ₱1.2M

15.16%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$144 ₱8,890

-71.66%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$34.60 ₱2,134

-22.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$26.46 ₱1,632

13.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.99 ₱2,096

53.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.41 ₱272

508.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.80 ₱358

8.62%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$153 ₱9,416

185.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,663 ₱287.5K

123.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$49.35 ₱3,043

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$28.02 ₱1,728

58.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$76.5 ₱4,718

34.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$47.46 ₱2,926

122.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$123 ₱7,577

731.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$79.2 ₱4,882

696.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$587 ₱36.2K

263.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$391 ₱24.1K

217.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,695 ₱166.2K

44.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,000 ₱61.6K

106.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$257 ₱15.8K

334.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.5

152.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Calamba: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $123 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 334% 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 Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $205 per month, with Calamba 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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 334% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $123 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $723 in Calamba – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $723 in Calamba versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $723 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.