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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $778 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,211 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,644 in Malaybalay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 89% more expensive than Malaybalay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Malaybalay is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.37 ₱269

201.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$16.17 ₱997

233.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.91 ₱241

140.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.07 ₱128

71.50%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.51 ₱31.67

217.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.36 ₱22.49

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.08 ₱66.7

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.75 ₱108

164.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.74 ₱107

-2.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.28 ₱78.7

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.99 ₱60.9

92.93%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.09 ₱129

21.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$5.98 ₱369

67.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.49 ₱277

80.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.21 ₱444

61.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.90 ₱179

2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.19 ₱73.5

52.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.38 ₱147

-15.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.35 ₱83.4

50.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.30 ₱142

-7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$3.31 ₱204

-31.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.32 ₱81.4

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.60 ₱37.29

88.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.69 ₱166

58.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.91 ₱488

96.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.40 ₱86.1

25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.50 ₱92.2

140.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.28 ₱17.37

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.91 ₱56.2

51.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.25 ₱15.47

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.18 ₱134

150.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.14 ₱70.5

14.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$22.6K ₱1.4M

-17.16%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.9K ₱1.3M

10.46%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$103 ₱6,357

-60.37%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$33.29 ₱2,053

-19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$36.73 ₱2,265

-18.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$34.32 ₱2,116

51.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.46 ₱275

501.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.53 ₱279

39.07%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$119 ₱7,334

266.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,392 ₱270.8K

137.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$45.45 ₱2,803

24.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$30.66 ₱1,890

44.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$77.1 ₱4,756

33.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$70.1 ₱4,320

50.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$271 ₱16.7K

277.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$178 ₱11.0K

254.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$576 ₱35.5K

270.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$393 ₱24.2K

216.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,167 ₱133.6K

80.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$905 ₱55.8K

128.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.56

18.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $271 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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 89% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $778 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,166 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $271 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $119 in Malaybalay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Malaybalay versus $1,467 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 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.