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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,481 in Mexico City versus $739 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,352 in Mexico City versus $1,153 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,222 in Mexico City versus $1,567 in Cotabato City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 100% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Cotabato City is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 MX$230

$4.34 ₱268

203.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 MX$938

$24.27 ₱1,498

120.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 MX$167

$4.51 ₱278

111.75%

Cappuccino

$3.72 MX$65.2

$2.12 ₱131

75.47%

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

$1.57 MX$27.45

$0.81 ₱50.1

93.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.25

$0.49 ₱30.52

136.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$1.38 ₱85.1

130.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$81.1

$1.73 ₱107

167.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.87

$1.04 ₱64.1

64.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 MX$45.83

$0.34 ₱20.98

670.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.08

$0.83 ₱51.2

127.71%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.46

$2.08 ₱129

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 MX$174

$6.12 ₱378

61.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 MX$144

$3.36 ₱207

144.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$206

$7.14 ₱441

64.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.5

$1.40 ₱86.4

114.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.52

$1.09 ₱67.1

65.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.32

$1.08 ₱66.7

91.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.45

$1.16 ₱71.7

69.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 MX$36.29

$1.21 ₱74.7

71.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.08

$1.55 ₱95.8

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.57

$0.55 ₱34.06

154.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.82

$0.60 ₱36.99

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$72.1

$0.85 ₱52.7

384.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.42 MX$305

$7.96 ₱492

118.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.35

$1.36 ₱84.0

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MX$63.9

$1.54 ₱95.2

137.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.66

$0.26 ₱16.02

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.28

$0.93 ₱57.2

43.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.31

$0.25 ₱15.50

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 MX$96.6

$2.18 ₱135

152.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.09 ₱67.3

20.18%

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

$19.2K MX$335.7K

$22.5K ₱1.4M

-14.75%

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

$23.7K MX$415.9K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

15.45%

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

$41.14 MX$721

$102 ₱6,311

-59.76%

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

$27.74 MX$486

$34.33 ₱2,119

-19.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 MX$528

$36.81 ₱2,272

-18.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 MX$941

$34.30 ₱2,117

56.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$455

$4.52 ₱279

474.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

$3.28 ₱202

97.87%

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

$437 MX$7,647

$121 ₱7,497

259.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.1K

$4,319 ₱266.6K

142.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,022

$45.25 ₱2,793

28.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.86 MX$803

$29.55 ₱1,824

55.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,777

$76.8 ₱4,738

32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,866

$69.5 ₱4,290

53.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 MX$17.6K

$269 ₱16.6K

273.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 MX$11.1K

$179 ₱11.1K

253.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 MX$37.6K

$577 ₱35.6K

272.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 MX$21.8K

$391 ₱24.1K

219.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,859 MX$67.6K

$2,723 ₱168.1K

41.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,085 MX$36.5K

$888 ₱54.8K

134.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,072 MX$18.8K

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Mexico City and $269 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $148 per month, with Cotabato 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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,222 in Mexico City and $1,108 in Cotabato City 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: $1,005 in Mexico City versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,481 per month in Mexico City versus $739 in Cotabato City – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $739 in Cotabato City versus $1,481 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.