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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $754 in Cotabato City.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,544 in Cotabato City.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$205

$4.92 ₱307

146.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$911

$16.52 ₱1,030

226.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$187

$4.11 ₱256

169.83%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.3

$2.15 ₱134

90.70%

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

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.08 ₱67.6

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.47

$0.70 ₱43.73

98.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.3

$1.13 ₱70.5

194.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.4

$1.89 ₱118

211.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.30

$2.04 ₱127

-9.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.6

$1.09 ₱68.2

190.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.01

$0.83 ₱51.7

149.40%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.51

$1.94 ₱121

51.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.87 ₱429

83.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$4.16 ₱259

143.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$272

$8.49 ₱530

89.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.3

$2.62 ₱163

29.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.14

$1.13 ₱70.2

84.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.85

$2.31 ₱144

-8.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.82

$1.20 ₱75.0

100.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.00

$2.14 ₱134

-0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$33.90

$3.48 ₱217

-42.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.13

$1.19 ₱74.5

30.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.08

$0.68 ₱42.37

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.5

$2.55 ₱159

126.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$300

$7.93 ₱495

123.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.00

$1.30 ₱80.9

59.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.0

$1.59 ₱99.0

189.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.19

$0.25 ₱15.46

48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$358

$11.14 ₱695

90.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.73

$0.82 ₱50.9

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.75

$0.23 ₱14.24

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$1.90 ₱118

219.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.17 ₱73.1

32.48%

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

$22.9K MX$386.8K

$21.6K ₱1.3M

5.68%

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

$27.2K MX$460.5K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

43.69%

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

$67.4 MX$1,140

$108 ₱6,720

-37.45%

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

$30.62 MX$518

$19.17 ₱1,195

59.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$630

$31.98 ₱1,994

16.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,039

$32.42 ₱2,021

89.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$459

$4.93 ₱308

450.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$120

$4.86 ₱303

46.30%

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

$456 MX$7,714

$109 ₱6,783

319.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$231.5K

$7,655 ₱477.3K

78.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,255

$32.37 ₱2,019

129.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$964

$19.46 ₱1,214

192.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,951

$71.7 ₱4,470

61.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,055

$61.7 ₱3,845

97.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.4K

$269 ₱16.8K

326.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$175 ₱10.9K

305.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.6K

$505 ₱31.5K

409.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$21.9K

$358 ₱22.3K

261.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.7K

$2,636 ₱164.4K

51.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.0K

$1,030 ₱64.2K

106.81%

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 Cotabato City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 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 $17.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $196 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 122% 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 $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,131 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $754 in Cotabato City – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 90% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $754 in Cotabato City versus $1,677 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 $754 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 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.