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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $783 in Negros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,238 in Negros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,692 in Negros.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 89% more expensive than Negros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Negros is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.45 ₱213

276.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$13.51 ₱833

292.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.11 ₱192

212.54%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.63 ₱101

130.06%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.31 ₱19.03

406.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.42 ₱25.83

169.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.30 ₱80.5

144.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.09 ₱129

122.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.29 ₱141

-29.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.50 ₱92.6

80.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.16 ₱71.6

62.07%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.29 ₱142

9.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$12.87 ₱794

-21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.12 ₱316

61.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.63 ₱471

56.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.62 ₱223

-20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.51 ₱93.1

15.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.31 ₱204

-37.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.24 ₱138

-12.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.62 ₱162

-17.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.54 ₱157

-14.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.00 ₱61.6

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.85 ₱52.2

31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.25 ₱201

29.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.42 ₱396

121.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.19 ₱73.7

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.32 ₱143

58.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.28 ₱17.28

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.89 ₱54.9

56.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.25 ₱15.52

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.69 ₱166

101.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.10 ₱68.1

22.73%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$30.1K ₱1.9M

-37.19%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$27.1K ₱1.7M

-14.53%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$96.2 ₱5,933

-57.56%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$34.57 ₱2,132

-20.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$30.37 ₱1,873

0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$33.95 ₱2,094

57.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$4.48 ₱277

487.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.82 ₱359

7.73%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$233 ₱14.4K

87.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$3,910 ₱241.2K

167.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$45.71 ₱2,819

24.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$23.10 ₱1,425

93.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$75.6 ₱4,663

35.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$55.2 ₱3,405

95.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$266 ₱16.4K

276.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$179 ₱11.0K

246.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$582 ₱35.9K

267.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$394 ₱24.3K

213.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,145 ₱132.3K

80.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$245 ₱15.1K

334.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

62.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Negros: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $266 in Negros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 335% 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 $14.00 in Negros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $241 per month, with Negros 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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Negros differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $783 including rent). Negros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 335% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $266 in Negros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $233 in Negros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negros – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Negros versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Negros but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Negros 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 Negros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.