Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Lipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipa: $596 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
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Lipa Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Mexico City vs $596 in Lipa, rent included.

Mexico City $1,608
Lipa $596

A couple spends around $2,549 per month in Mexico City vs $924 in Lipa, rent included.

Mexico City $2,549
Lipa $924

A family of three spends $3,490 per month in Mexico City vs $1,252 in Lipa, rent included.

Mexico City $3,490
Lipa $1,252

Mexico City costs about 170% more than Lipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 18% above the global median, while Lipa is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$3.12 ₱199

240.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$15.87 ₱1,011

204.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$2.78 ₱177

272.30%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$1.83 ₱117

101.64%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.42 ₱26.58

297.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.31 ₱19.52

309.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.02 ₱65.2

212.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$1.52 ₱96.8

249.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.51 ₱96.4

13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.10 ₱70.1

176.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.83 ₱52.6

133.73%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.72 ₱109

68.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$5.13 ₱327

113.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.26 ₱208

183.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$7.81 ₱498

93.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.28 ₱145

33.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.57 ₱99.7

23.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$2.28 ₱145

-10.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.01 ₱64.3

128.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.67 ₱106

22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.70 ₱109

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.60 ₱38.36

146.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.49 ₱31.10

159.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.91 ₱186

82.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$8.39 ₱534

91.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$0.89 ₱56.9

122.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$1.94 ₱124

119.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.27 ₱17.23

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$4.80 ₱306

311.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$0.68 ₱43.28

170.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.24 ₱15.33

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$1.87 ₱119

183.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.10 ₱69.9

37.27%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

4.54%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$15.4K ₱982.6K

55.48%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$135 ₱8,605

-53.38%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$17.10 ₱1,089

60.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$22.80 ₱1,452

56.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$31.49 ₱2,005

87.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$3.83 ₱244

517.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$5.06 ₱322

26.48%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$132 ₱8,375

228.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$10.6K ₱675.9K

7.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$28.79 ₱1,834

136.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$19.29 ₱1,228

175.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$71.7 ₱4,565

50.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$55.7 ₱3,545

110.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$79.1 ₱5,039

1307.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$58.6 ₱3,729

1113.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$241 ₱15.4K

973.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$177 ₱11.3K

695.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$222 ₱14.1K

326.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

89.17%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lipa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Lipa

$59 9.8% 91.8% $652

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Lipa

$168 28.2% 47.4% $151

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Lipa

$66 11.1% 66.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Lipa

$79 13.2% 49.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Lipa

$175 29.3% 38.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Lipa

$42 7% 42% $30

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Lipa

$7.8 1.3% 69.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City versus $79 in Lipa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City versus $16 in Lipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $168 – making Lipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Lipa

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

13:35 1:35 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

332,386

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Lipa 14,250 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Lipa

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 Lipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City, $596 in Lipa – Lipa comes out roughly 63% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Mexico City and $894 in Lipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lipa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $79 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 76% less in Lipa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Mexico City and $132 in Lipa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Lipa, where all-in costs run around $596, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Lipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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