Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $948 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
Learn more

Manila Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,567 per month in Mexico City vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

Mexico City $1,567
Manila $948

A couple spends around $2,450 per month in Mexico City vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

Mexico City $2,450
Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $3,333 per month in Mexico City vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

Mexico City $3,333
Manila $2,068

Mexico City costs about 65% more than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexico City sits 16% above the global median, while Manila is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$5.46 ₱344

96.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$26.93 ₱1,696

86.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$3.90 ₱246

184.62%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.62 ₱165

40.46%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$1.36 ₱85.6

21.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.83 ₱52.3

56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$1.22 ₱76.9

172.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$2.32 ₱146

138.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.96 ₱123

-9.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.42 ₱89.2

114.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.04 ₱65.5

93.27%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$2.23 ₱140

24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$7.70 ₱485

54.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$4.91 ₱309

90.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$7.12 ₱448

110.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$3.23 ₱204

-4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.92 ₱121

1.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$2.93 ₱185

-30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$1.79 ₱113

23.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$2.32 ₱146

-12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$2.73 ₱172

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$2.12 ₱133

-28.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.59 ₱37.27

116.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$3.18 ₱200

65.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$9.81 ₱618

64.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.34 ₱84.2

45.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$2.00 ₱126

112.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.47 ₱29.49

-34.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

$12.56 ₱791

58.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$0.73 ₱46.09

173.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$0.21 ₱13.20

152.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$1.87 ₱118

200.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.28 ₱80.7

18.75%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

-1.57%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

30.45%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$124 ₱7,826

-49.70%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$15.73 ₱991

82.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$24.40 ₱1,537

41.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$43.31 ₱2,728

31.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$5.79 ₱365

328.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$6.76 ₱426

-1.33%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$630 ₱39.7K

-31.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$9,004 ₱567.2K

30.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$58.3 ₱3,670

21.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$27.34 ₱1,722

89.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$75.6 ₱4,760

44.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$56.6 ₱3,566

98.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$536 ₱33.8K

96.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$284 ₱17.9K

134.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$1,874 ₱118.0K

25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$654 ₱41.2K

87.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$4,438 ₱279.6K

-19.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$2,530 ₱159.3K

-21.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$467 ₱29.4K

108.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.43

52.09%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Manila

$284 29.9% 57.3% $381

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Manila

$222 23.5% 31.1% $100

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Manila

$106 11.2% 47.6% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Manila

$98 10.3% 36.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Manila

$164 17.3% 30.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Manila

$57 6% 19.3% $14

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Manila

$16 1.7% 37.1% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,051 in Mexico City versus $536 in Manila. 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 109% 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 $50.0 in Mexico City versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $222 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

17:35 5:35 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Manila 14,220 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Manila

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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City, $948 in Manila – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,351 per month in Mexico City and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, 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 $1,567 in Mexico City and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 65%.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $948, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $948 in Manila to $1,567 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Manila. 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.