Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Cotabato City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $738 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
Learn more

Cotabato City Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Cotabato City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Cotabato City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $738 in Cotabato City.

Mexico City $1,608
Cotabato City $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,139 in Cotabato City.

Mexico City $2,549
Cotabato City $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,539 in Cotabato City.

Mexico City $3,490
Cotabato City $1,539

Living in Mexico City is roughly 118% more expensive than in Cotabato City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Cotabato City is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$4.81 ₱308

120.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$16.14 ₱1,033

199.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$3.97 ₱254

160.71%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$2.17 ₱139

70.05%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

$1.06 ₱67.7

57.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

$0.62 ₱39.81

104.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.14 ₱73.2

179.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$2.08 ₱133

155.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$2.01 ₱129

-14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$1.08 ₱68.9

181.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$0.75 ₱48.27

158.67%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.90 ₱121

52.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$6.44 ₱412

70.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.59 ₱294

101.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$9.44 ₱604

60.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$2.76 ₱176

10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$1.10 ₱70.2

76.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$2.40 ₱154

-15.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$1.17 ₱74.8

97.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$1.97 ₱126

3.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$3.30 ₱211

-45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$1.24 ₱79.1

19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$0.66 ₱42.21

92.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$2.40 ₱154

120.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$8.03 ₱514

100.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$1.27 ₱81.0

55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$1.64 ₱105

159.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$0.22 ₱14.00

40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$11.32 ₱724

74.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$0.76 ₱48.37

142.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.22 ₱13.99

140.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$1.85 ₱118

186.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$1.10 ₱70.3

37.27%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

4.49%

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

27.81%

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$108 ₱6,886

-41.47%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$18.43 ₱1,180

48.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$30.97 ₱1,982

15.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$30.96 ₱1,981

90.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$5.25 ₱336

350.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$4.73 ₱302

35.31%

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

$432 MX$8,041

$105 ₱6,694

312.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

$7,282 ₱466.0K

56.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

$32.48 ₱2,078

110.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$19.49 ₱1,247

172.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

$69.5 ₱4,445

55.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

$60.5 ₱3,868

94.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$224 ₱14.3K

396.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$153 ₱9,769

365.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$447 ₱28.6K

478.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$333 ₱21.3K

321.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

$2,692 ₱172.2K

34.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,003 ₱64.2K

112.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.31

36.58%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Cotabato City

$153 20.7% 78.5% $558

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Cotabato City

$199 26.9% 37.8% $121

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Cotabato City

$93 12.6% 53.1% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Cotabato City

$82 11.1% 47.5% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Cotabato City

$157 21.3% 24.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Cotabato City

$40 5.5% 43.7% $31

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Cotabato City

$14 1.9% 44.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $224 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $16 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $199 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

11:09 11:09 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

325,079

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.24 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Cotabato City 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Cotabato City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 54% 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 $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,107 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $224 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $738 in Cotabato City – Cotabato City is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 43% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.