Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and General Trias

For one person, living is cheaper in General Trias: $618 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City, Mexico
General Trias, Philippines
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,674
/mo nomad
General Trias
🇵🇭 Philippines
$618
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in General Trias

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 General Trias actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $618 in General Trias, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,674
  • General Trias $618

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $990 in General Trias, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,606
  • General Trias $990

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $1,362 in General Trias, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,537
  • General Trias $1,362

Mexico City costs about 171% more than General Trias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 24% above the global median, while General Trias is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.59 MX$197
$4.00 ₱255
164.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.0 MX$967
$16.20 ₱1,030
220.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 MX$200
$2.45 ₱156
337.96%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$70.7
$1.83 ₱117
107.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 MX$30.01
$0.40 ₱25.44
302.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 MX$22.55
$0.30 ₱18.85
303.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 MX$59.1
$1.01 ₱64.3
214.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 MX$101
$1.51 ₱96.0
260.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$31.96
$1.64 ₱104
4.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 MX$55.2
$1.15 ₱73.0
158.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MX$35.84
$0.91 ₱58.0
112.09%
Eggs
$2.77 MX$51.6
$2.03 ₱129
36.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.67 MX$217
$4.79 ₱305
143.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.48 MX$176
$3.39 ₱216
179.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.37 MX$286
$7.61 ₱484
101.97%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 MX$57.8
$2.19 ₱139
41.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.49
$1.58 ₱101
24.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 MX$36.88
$2.29 ₱146
-13.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.34 MX$43.46
$1.01 ₱64.1
131.68%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.66
$1.66 ₱106
21.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.95
$1.70 ₱108
7.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MX$28.74
$0.87 ₱55.5
77.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.42
$0.52 ₱32.91
151.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.35 MX$99.6
$2.94 ₱187
81.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.19 MX$301
$8.42 ₱535
92.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 MX$36.46
$0.96 ₱61.3
104.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 MX$81.0
$2.06 ₱131
111.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MX$5.67
$0.24 ₱15.31
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.49 MX$363
$12.30 ₱782
58.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.92 MX$35.68
$0.76 ₱48.08
152.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 MX$8.80
$0.20 ₱12.72
135.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 MX$101
$1.92 ₱122
181.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MX$27.61
$1.22 ₱77.9
21.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$397.7K
$11.6K ₱738.2K
84.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$442.1K
$18.7K ₱1.2M
26.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.0 MX$1,154
$31.73 ₱2,017
95.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.47 MX$530
$17.15 ₱1,091
66.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.11 MX$635
$20.95 ₱1,332
62.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 MX$1,087
$31.30 ₱1,990
86.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.50 MX$456
$5.25 ₱334
366.67%
Cinema Ticket
$6.59 MX$123
$5.01 ₱319
31.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$434 MX$8,081
$129 ₱8,223
235.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K MX$261.2K
$10.8K ₱689.4K
29.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 MX$1,272
$28.39 ₱1,805
140.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 MX$1,020
$19.41 ₱1,234
182.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 MX$2,063
$70.9 ₱4,506
56.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 MX$2,159
$55.8 ₱3,548
107.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,179 MX$21.9K
$95.0 ₱6,041
1141.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 MX$14.3K
$168 ₱10.7K
358.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,570 MX$47.8K
$484 ₱30.8K
430.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,420 MX$26.4K
$353 ₱22.4K
302.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,586 MX$66.7K
$2,636 ₱167.6K
36.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,064 MX$38.4K
$1,111 ₱70.7K
85.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
General Trias
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,003 MX$18.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.35
6.75
68.15%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for General Trias: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$771
General Trias
$168 78.2% $603
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$324
General Trias
$172 46.7% $151
Eating Out
Mexico City
$201
General Trias
$72 64% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$158
General Trias
$79 50.2% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$125
General Trias
$70 43.9% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$72
General Trias
$41 42.3% $30
Getting Around
Mexico City
$25
General Trias
$15 39.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $95 in General Trias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Mexico City versus $16 in General Trias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $172 – making General Trias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇵🇭 General Trias
🕒 Local time
08:08 8:08 AM
22:08 10:08 PM
14 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
450,583
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City General Trias 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • General Trias

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 General Trias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mexico City or General Trias?
Mexico City costs about 171% more than General Trias, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mexico City and in General Trias?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $926 in General Trias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mexico City or General Trias?
Rent is clearly cheaper in General Trias, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $95 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.
How expensive is transport in Mexico City compared to General Trias?
Public transport costs about 37% less in General Trias. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Mexico City and in General Trias?
Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Mexico City and $129 in General Trias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Mexico City or in General Trias?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in General Trias, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In General Trias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward General Trias – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, General Trias is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 63% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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