Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Iloilo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $693 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,561 per month in Mexico City vs $693 in Iloilo, rent included.

Mexico City $1,561
Iloilo $693

A couple spends around $2,440 per month in Mexico City vs $1,054 in Iloilo, rent included.

Mexico City $2,440
Iloilo $1,054

A family of three spends $3,319 per month in Mexico City vs $1,416 in Iloilo, rent included.

Mexico City $3,319
Iloilo $1,416

Mexico City costs about 125% more than Iloilo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Iloilo is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$204

$2.83 ₱177

292.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$900

$19.43 ₱1,219

152.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$206

$3.15 ₱198

256.51%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.0

$2.09 ₱131

79.90%

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

$1.65 MX$30.34

$0.65 ₱40.93

153.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.48

$0.34 ₱21.39

276.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$59.8

$1.06 ₱66.6

207.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$104

$1.81 ₱113

212.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.23

$1.69 ₱106

7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$54.0

$1.20 ₱75.1

145.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$37.62

$0.84 ₱52.9

144.05%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$53.7

$2.06 ₱129

42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$219

$6.05 ₱379

97.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$175

$4.04 ₱254

135.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$273

$6.18 ₱388

140.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$57.7

$3.32 ₱208

-5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.99

$1.04 ₱65.3

93.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.10

$3.06 ₱192

-32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$40.72

$1.38 ₱86.4

60.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.82

$2.39 ₱150

-13.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$34.46

$2.71 ₱170

-30.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.18

$1.47 ₱92.4

0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.70

$0.81 ₱50.8

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$2.99 ₱188

80.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$310

$6.19 ₱388

172.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.43

$1.10 ₱68.8

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$79.4

$1.26 ₱78.8

242.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.33

$0.24 ₱15.09

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$371

$4.59 ₱288

340.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$38.47

$0.82 ₱51.4

156.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.74

$0.34 ₱21.10

55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

$2.36 ₱148

129.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.91

$1.16 ₱72.9

31.03%

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

$21.7K MX$399.0K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-0.20%

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

$24.8K MX$455.6K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

27.02%

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

$63.0 MX$1,156

$64.5 ₱4,044

-2.33%

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

$28.88 MX$530

$9.82 ₱616

194.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$623

$27.65 ₱1,734

22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,024

$9.76 ₱612

471.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$124

$4.70 ₱295

44.04%

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

$428 MX$7,854

$31.77 ₱1,993

1246.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,286

$23.50 ₱1,474

198.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$986

$17.74 ₱1,113

202.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$2,016

$55.5 ₱3,480

97.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,115

$23.96 ₱1,503

380.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.5K

$308 ₱19.3K

244.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.3K

$246 ₱15.4K

172.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$43.7K

$1,184 ₱74.3K

100.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$23.1K

$436 ₱27.4K

188.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$68.2K

$3,633 ₱227.9K

2.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$36.3K

$1,055 ₱66.2K

87.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$18.3K

$206 ₱12.9K

383.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.33

54.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$671 42.4%

Iloilo

$246 35.8% 63.3% $424

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$327 20.7%

Iloilo

$188 27.3% 42.5% $139

Eating Out

Mexico City

$207 13.1%

Iloilo

$70 10.2% 66.1% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$157 9.9%

Iloilo

$54 7.9% 65.4% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Iloilo

$102 14.8% 19% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$69 4.4%

Iloilo

$19 2.8% 72.3% $50

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Iloilo

$8.1 1.2% 69.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Mexico City versus $308 in Iloilo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 384% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $19.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $188 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

21:06 9:06 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

457,626

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Iloilo 14,350 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Iloilo

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 Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,341 per month in Mexico City and $1,040 in Iloilo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iloilo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $19.00 in Iloilo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,561 in Mexico City and $693 in Iloilo. That's a gap of about 125%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Mexico City at $1,561. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iloilo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Iloilo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.