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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $758 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,146 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,535 in Malaybalay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 119% more expensive than in Malaybalay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Malaybalay is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$4.71 ₱296

153.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$16.73 ₱1,051

208.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$3.66 ₱230

211.75%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.26 ₱142

76.55%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$0.50 ₱31.27

232.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.30 ₱19.13

343.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.06 ₱66.4

227.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$1.84 ₱115

220.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.95 ₱123

-3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.14 ₱71.5

185.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.87 ₱54.6

148.28%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$1.95 ₱123

48.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$6.50 ₱409

97.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.06 ₱255

147.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$8.62 ₱541

83.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.58 ₱162

27.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.12 ₱70.5

79.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.31 ₱145

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.19 ₱74.6

98.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$2.05 ₱129

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$3.57 ₱224

-46.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.17 ₱73.6

37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.70 ₱44.08

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.52 ₱159

116.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.90 ₱497

123.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.24 ₱77.6

66.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.59 ₱99.8

194.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.23 ₱14.40

47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$10.87 ₱683

91.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.81 ₱50.9

159.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.25 ₱15.75

124.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.95 ₱123

197.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.18 ₱73.9

36.44%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

6.06%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

42.42%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$109 ₱6,818

-39.94%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$19.31 ₱1,213

55.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$30.85 ₱1,938

20.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$31.66 ₱1,989

88.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$4.84 ₱304

448.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.90 ₱308

43.67%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$106 ₱6,635

339.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,643 ₱480.2K

73.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$31.89 ₱2,003

137.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$19.10 ₱1,200

192.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$70.4 ₱4,421

58.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$62.1 ₱3,901

94.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$260 ₱16.3K

323.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$169 ₱10.6K

326.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$495 ₱31.1K

411.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$297 ₱18.7K

335.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$2,556 ₱160.6K

56.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,043 ₱65.5K

100.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.31

35.98%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $260 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $194 per month, with Malaybalay 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 Malaybalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Malaybalay differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $758 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,136 in Malaybalay 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $260 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $758 in Malaybalay versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.