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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $717 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,102 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,487 in Marawi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 131% more expensive than in Marawi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Marawi is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.61 ₱226

230.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$14.46 ₱906

256.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$2.77 ₱174

311.91%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.16 ₱136

84.72%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.58 ₱36.39

186.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.30 ₱19.06

343.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.26 ₱79.2

175.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$1.73 ₱109

241.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.69 ₱106

11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.16 ₱72.5

180.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$0.95 ₱59.8

127.37%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.92 ₱120

51.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$5.30 ₱332

142.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.10 ₱257

145.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$6.99 ₱438

126.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.27 ₱142

44.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.62 ₱101

24.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$2.39 ₱150

-7.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.18 ₱73.8

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$2.02 ₱126

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.95 ₱122

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.77 ₱48.39

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.52 ₱32.67

169.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.21 ₱201

70.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$6.80 ₱426

159.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$0.81 ₱50.5

154.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$1.88 ₱118

148.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$0.26 ₱16.27

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$9.46 ₱593

119.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$0.76 ₱47.84

176.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.23 ₱14.47

143.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$1.75 ₱110

232.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.09 ₱68.0

47.71%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$20.3K ₱1.3M

12.26%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$22.1K ₱1.4M

21.07%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$108 ₱6,755

-39.53%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$12.81 ₱803

134.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$24.42 ₱1,530

52.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$36.16 ₱2,266

65.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$4.31 ₱270

516.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.88 ₱306

44.26%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$131 ₱8,229

253.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$8,059 ₱505.0K

64.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$31.86 ₱1,997

138.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$19.13 ₱1,199

192.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$70.3 ₱4,404

59.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$55.0 ₱3,444

119.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$262 ₱16.4K

321.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$172 ₱10.8K

318.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$492 ₱30.8K

414.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$351 ₱22.0K

268.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$2,956 ₱185.2K

35.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$1,034 ₱64.8K

102.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$284 ₱17.8K

265.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Marawi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $262 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 266% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $174 per month, with Marawi 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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Marawi differ by about 131% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $717 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 266% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $262 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,660 per month in Mexico City versus $717 in Marawi – a 131% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 120% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $717 in Marawi versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi 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 Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.