Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Naga

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $552 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Naga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$552

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $552 in Naga.

Mexico City $1,608
Naga $552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $845 in Naga.

Mexico City $2,549
Naga $845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,138 in Naga.

Mexico City $3,490
Naga $1,138

Living in Mexico City is roughly 191% more expensive than in Naga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Naga is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$5.10 ₱326

108.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$13.37 ₱854

261.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$2.77 ₱177

273.65%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$2.74 ₱175

34.67%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.67 ₱42.90

149.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.22 ₱14.03

477.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.31 ₱83.4

143.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$3.09 ₱198

71.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.95 ₱125

-11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

$0.80 ₱51.1

280.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$0.77 ₱49.27

151.95%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.68 ₱107

72.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$10.06 ₱643

9.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$4.12 ₱264

124.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$6.84 ₱437

121.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.90 ₱121

60.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.66 ₱106

16.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$2.41 ₱154

-15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

$2.37 ₱152

-2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

$2.53 ₱162

-19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$2.21 ₱141

-18.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

$4.63 ₱296

-68.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

$0.60 ₱38.38

111.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$2.76 ₱176

92.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$3.77 ₱241

327.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.53 ₱97.6

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

$0.58 ₱36.83

217.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

$1.19 ₱76.0

26.89%

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

$97.7 ₱6,243

-35.54%

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

$27.39 MX$511

$23.84 ₱1,523

14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

$25.59 ₱1,635

39.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

$7.73 ₱494

662.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$4.80 ₱307

33.33%

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

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

$7,801 ₱498.4K

46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$158 ₱10.1K

603.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$85.9 ₱5,487

727.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$240 ₱15.4K

977.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$195 ₱12.5K

620.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$138 ₱8,843

583.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Naga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Naga

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Naga

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Naga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Naga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Naga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Naga

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Naga

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $158 in Naga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 6.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $13 in Naga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $202 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Naga

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

05:35 5:35 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

115,750

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Naga 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Naga

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 Naga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $552 in Naga, so Naga is about 66% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 6.8 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $158 in Naga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $552 in Naga – Naga is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $552 in Naga versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Naga 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.

It comes down to priorities – Naga wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.