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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $836 in Mandaluyong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,290 in Mandaluyong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,745 in Mandaluyong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than Mandaluyong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Mandaluyong is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$5.33 ₱324

143.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$17.92 ₱1,088

193.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$3.37 ₱205

179.82%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.45 ₱149

45.71%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.98 ₱59.8

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.51 ₱30.85

125.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.52 ₱92.3

107.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.70 ₱164

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.90 ₱116

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.39 ₱84.6

89.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.06 ₱64.5

79.25%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.27 ₱138

11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$9.14 ₱555

10.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$5.31 ₱323

56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$8.48 ₱515

36.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$3.42 ₱208

-11.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.86 ₱113

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$3.49 ₱212

-41.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.41 ₱147

-14.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.81 ₱171

-26.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$3.15 ₱191

-31.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.72 ₱43.97

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.70 ₱42.32

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$3.21 ₱195

33.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.98 ₱545

71.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.45 ₱88.1

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.22 ₱135

66.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.37 ₱22.18

2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.87 ₱52.8

58.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.25 ₱15.01

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$2.18 ₱132

148.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.15 ₱69.9

11.30%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

-28.32%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

13.31%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$139 ₱8,434

-70.47%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$34.62 ₱2,102

-22.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$26.64 ₱1,617

11.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$34.03 ₱2,067

53.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$4.54 ₱275

477.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.71 ₱407

-7.90%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$154 ₱9,341

177.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,819 ₱292.6K

121.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$46.38 ₱2,816

22.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$34.59 ₱2,100

29.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$76.7 ₱4,658

36.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$45.84 ₱2,784

131.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$536 ₱32.6K

85.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$178 ₱10.8K

249.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$577 ₱35.0K

268.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$387 ₱23.5K

223.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,928 ₱177.8K

33.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$615 ₱37.3K

80.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.5

152.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mandaluyong: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $536 in Mandaluyong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Mandaluyong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $236 per month, with Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Mandaluyong differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $836 including rent). Mandaluyong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 80% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $536 in Mandaluyong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $154 in Mandaluyong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaluyong – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Mandaluyong versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mandaluyong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaluyong 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Mandaluyong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mandaluyong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.