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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,448 per month in Mexico City vs $676 in Caloocan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,354 per month in Mexico City vs $1,036 in Caloocan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Mexico City vs $1,396 in Caloocan, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 114% more than Caloocan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Caloocan is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$3.64 ₱219

256.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$13.54 ₱815

286.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$2.68 ₱161

261.57%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$1.13 ₱68.3

231.86%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.46 ₱27.95

239.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.38 ₱22.72

205.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.36 ₱82.1

138.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.00 ₱121

145.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.83 ₱110

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.25 ₱75.4

113.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.01 ₱60.7

87.13%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.99 ₱120

26.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$2.19 ₱132

357.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$2.92 ₱176

192.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$5.63 ₱339

112.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.01 ₱121

47.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.15 ₱69.5

55.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.23 ₱135

-10.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.18 ₱70.9

66.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.23 ₱74.0

75.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$2.21 ₱133

2.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.68 ₱40.78

105.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.54 ₱32.67

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$3.30 ₱199

27.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$5.02 ₱303

229.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.07 ₱64.3

57.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$2.37 ₱142

51.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.20 ₱12.04

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.78 ₱46.68

76.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.24 ₱14.52

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$2.42 ₱146

122.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.15 ₱69.3

12.17%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$31.3K ₱1.9M

-39.65%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$20.3K ₱1.2M

17.36%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$59.2 ₱3,565

-32.67%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$10.80 ₱651

157.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$26.28 ₱1,583

13.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$5.45 ₱328

853.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$4.54 ₱274

477.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$5.83 ₱351

7.55%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$152 ₱9,175

183.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$4,671 ₱281.3K

125.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$49.45 ₱2,978

15.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$27.59 ₱1,662

64.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$53.7 ₱3,232

89.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$46.85 ₱2,822

131.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$285 ₱17.2K

248.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$265 ₱16.0K

132.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$594 ₱35.8K

251.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$521 ₱31.4K

140.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$2,496 ₱150.3K

57.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$907 ₱54.6K

130.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$281 ₱16.9K

302.79%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $994 in Mexico City versus $285 in Caloocan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 303% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Mexico City versus $14.00 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $150 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Caloocan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 114% more than Caloocan, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,173 per month in Mexico City and $1,014 in Caloocan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caloocan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Mexico City and $14.00 in Caloocan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 95% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Mexico City at $1,448. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Caloocan costs $676 versus $1,448 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Caloocan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.