Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Laoag City Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Laoag City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,456 per month in Mexico City vs $807 in Laoag City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,361 per month in Mexico City vs $1,230 in Laoag City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,266 per month in Mexico City vs $1,653 in Laoag City, rent included.

Mexico City costs about 80% more than Laoag City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mexico City sits 9% above the global median, while Laoag City is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$3.59 ₱221

264.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$14.91 ₱918

260.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.23 ₱199

199.69%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$2.42 ₱149

54.55%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.84 ₱51.6

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.37 ₱22.53

213.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$1.30 ₱80.0

148.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$2.08 ₱128

127.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$1.91 ₱117

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$1.23 ₱75.6

123.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$0.99 ₱60.8

88.89%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$2.25 ₱138

11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.00 ₱493

27.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$7.73 ₱476

6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$7.76 ₱478

52.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$2.85 ₱175

5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$1.54 ₱94.6

17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$2.70 ₱166

-25.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$1.57 ₱96.4

27.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$2.24 ₱138

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$2.52 ₱155

-9.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$1.06 ₱65.4

37.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.72 ₱44.39

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$3.09 ₱190

40.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$8.04 ₱495

111.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$0.96 ₱58.8

80.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$1.99 ₱123

79.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.26 ₱15.97

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$0.84 ₱51.5

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$0.24 ₱14.75

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$2.14 ₱132

145.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.11 ₱68.6

20.72%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$26.8K ₱1.7M

-27.64%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

17.84%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$114 ₱7,020

-64.31%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$33.21 ₱2,045

-19.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$26.54 ₱1,634

14.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$15.11 ₱931

249.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$4.49 ₱276

493.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$6.03 ₱371

7.96%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$154 ₱9,464

178.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$4,390 ₱270.3K

139.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$45.83 ₱2,822

24.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$26.79 ₱1,650

69.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$74.0 ₱4,555

40.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$53.5 ₱3,295

101.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$266 ₱16.4K

277.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$200 ₱12.3K

211.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$421 ₱25.9K

401.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$401 ₱24.7K

203.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$2,361 ₱145.4K

64.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$916 ₱56.4K

121.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$164 ₱10.1K

533.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Laoag City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Mexico City versus $266 in Laoag City. 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 533% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City versus $15.00 in Laoag City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $222 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Laoag City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City costs about 80% more than Laoag City, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,185 per month in Mexico City and $1,210 in Laoag City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,456 in Mexico City and $807 in Laoag City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $428 per month in Mexico City and $154 in Laoag City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $807, than in Mexico City at $1,456. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Laoag City costs $807 versus $1,456 in Mexico City. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Laoag City. 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.