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: $1,466 in Mexico City versus $736 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,325 in Mexico City versus $1,158 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Mexico City versus $1,580 in Cotabato City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 99% more expensive than Cotabato City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Cotabato City is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 MX$231

$4.32 ₱262

207.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$935

$24.28 ₱1,469

121.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$164

$4.48 ₱271

110.27%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.04 ₱123

75.98%

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

$1.62 MX$28.23

$0.87 ₱52.4

86.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.56

$0.53 ₱31.86

111.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$56.5

$1.46 ₱88.3

122.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 MX$80.9

$1.75 ₱106

165.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.47

$1.07 ₱64.8

53.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.16

$0.34 ₱20.34

679.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.10

$0.84 ₱50.9

133.33%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.24

$2.01 ₱122

26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 MX$173

$6.18 ₱374

61.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 MX$146

$3.32 ₱201

152.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 MX$206

$7.21 ₱436

64.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.79

$1.39 ₱84.4

105.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.15

$1.03 ₱62.6

67.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.62

$1.05 ₱63.3

89.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.63

$1.13 ₱68.2

81.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.77

$1.27 ₱77.0

62.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 MX$39.68

$1.47 ₱89.1

55.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$0.51 ₱30.80

184.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.90

$0.56 ₱33.66

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$0.90 ₱54.6

374.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 MX$255

$8.28 ₱501

77.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.36 ₱82.1

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 MX$62.1

$1.54 ₱93.3

131.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.26 ₱15.73

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.73 MX$326

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$0.86 ₱52.0

61.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.28

$0.23 ₱13.90

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$94.1

$2.11 ₱128

156.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.30

$1.14 ₱68.8

17.54%

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

$18.9K MX$327.8K

$22.3K ₱1.4M

-15.61%

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

$23.2K MX$403.4K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

11.56%

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

$40.30 MX$701

$106 ₱6,385

-61.81%

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

$27.15 MX$472

$34.24 ₱2,072

-20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$512

$36.31 ₱2,197

-18.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$917

$34.32 ₱2,077

53.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 MX$455

$4.33 ₱262

504.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$107

$3.10 ₱187

99.35%

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

$441 MX$7,664

$121 ₱7,345

263.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$4,335 ₱262.3K

146.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 MX$995

$45.35 ₱2,744

26.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 MX$783

$30.23 ₱1,829

48.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$79.1 ₱4,784

30.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,891

$68.0 ₱4,112

59.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$266 ₱16.1K

276.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$11.0K

$174 ₱10.5K

263.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 MX$37.2K

$580 ₱35.1K

268.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 MX$21.8K

$392 ₱23.7K

219.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,745 MX$65.1K

$2,222 ₱134.4K

68.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 MX$41.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $266 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54 in Mexico City vs $24 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $147 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 99% 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 $2,199 in Mexico City and $1,104 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $266 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,466 per month in Mexico City versus $736 in Cotabato City – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $736 in Cotabato City versus $1,466 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 $736 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 99% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.