Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nueva Ecija Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Nueva Ecija

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $663 in Nueva Ecija.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,064 in Nueva Ecija.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,465 in Nueva Ecija.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 121% more expensive than Nueva Ecija, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Nueva Ecija is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.40 ₱271

199.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$35.35 ₱2,180

52.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.41 ₱210

176.25%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.33 ₱82.1

166.92%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.76 ₱46.99

113.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.34 ₱20.68

226.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.85 ₱52.3

267.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.32 ₱143

99.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.98 ₱184

-42.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.05 ₱64.7

159.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.92 ₱56.9

107.61%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.72 ₱106

47.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.83 ₱483

28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.82 ₱236

111.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.37 ₱393

82.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.16 ₱256

-28.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.83 ₱51.0

118.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.92 ₱119

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.77 ₱109

14.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.67 ₱103

26.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.18 ₱135

4.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$2.37 ₱146

-40.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.51 ₱31.71

121.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.53 ₱156

68.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$4.38 ₱270

255.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.34 ₱82.4

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.44 ₱150

47.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.32 ₱19.87

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$6.10 ₱376

214.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.77 ₱47.32

79.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.22 ₱13.47

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$1.12 ₱69.1

386.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.95 ₱58.7

36.84%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$17.5K ₱1.1M

6.76%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$23.5K ₱1.4M

-1.55%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$88.9 ₱5,480

-54.02%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$32.35 ₱1,995

-17.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$20.29 ₱1,251

47.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.41 ₱2,060

55.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.31 ₱266

522.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.10 ₱314

23.53%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$153 ₱9,451

184.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,346 ₱268.0K

139.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$45.11 ₱2,781

25.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$33.85 ₱2,088

31.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$67.5 ₱4,163

52.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$114 ₱7,053

-7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$128 ₱7,890

698.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$76.1 ₱4,692

729.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$195 ₱12.0K

996.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$140 ₱8,637

787.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,421 ₱149.3K

61.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$962 ₱59.3K

114.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$195 ₱12.0K

471.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.17

83.79%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $128 in Nueva Ecija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 471% 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 $35.00 in Nueva Ecija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $200 per month, with Nueva Ecija 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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Nueva Ecija differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $663 including rent). Nueva Ecija is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 471% 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 $128 in Nueva Ecija. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nueva Ecija runs roughly 214% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $153 in Nueva Ecija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $663 in Nueva Ecija versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nueva Ecija but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nueva Ecija 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 Nueva Ecija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.