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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $792 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,221 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,650 in Marawi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 85% more expensive than Marawi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Marawi is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.57 ₱220

269.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$18.00 ₱1,110

199.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.27 ₱202

188.07%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.36 ₱146

50.42%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.78 ₱47.82

107.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.37 ₱22.81

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.35 ₱83.3

131.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.18 ₱135

112.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.91 ₱118

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.21 ₱74.3

124.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.01 ₱62.5

89.11%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.08 ₱128

22.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.85 ₱484

27.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.36 ₱269

85.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.58 ₱467

53.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.87 ₱177

3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.54 ₱94.9

17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.60 ₱160

-22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.54 ₱95.2

31.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.33 ₱144

-9.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.56 ₱158

-11.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.06 ₱65.4

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.73 ₱44.88

54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.90 ₱179

47.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.83 ₱421

127.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.21 ₱74.8

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.96 ₱121

83.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 ₱16.03

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.79 ₱48.45

74.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.22 ₱13.51

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.07 ₱128

163.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.10 ₱67.6

18.18%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.7K ₱1.6M

-29.98%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

13.61%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$110 ₱6,807

-62.99%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$32.97 ₱2,033

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$27.65 ₱1,705

8.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.98 ₱2,095

53.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.41 ₱272

508.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.99 ₱370

5.18%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$154 ₱9,489

183.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,321 ₱266.5K

141.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$46.60 ₱2,873

21.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.51 ₱1,635

67.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$75.1 ₱4,631

37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$52.4 ₱3,231

101.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$263 ₱16.2K

289.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$176 ₱10.8K

259.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$592 ₱36.5K

260.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$389 ₱24.0K

219.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,250 ₱138.7K

73.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$971 ₱59.8K

112.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$295 ₱18.2K

277.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Marawi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $263 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 278% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $202 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 85% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $792 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 278% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $263 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $154 in Marawi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marawi – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $792 in Marawi versus $1,467 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 85% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.