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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $656 in Nueva Ecija.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,080 in Nueva Ecija.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,504 in Nueva Ecija.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% more expensive than in Nueva Ecija, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Nueva Ecija is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.32 ₱267

202.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$34.99 ₱2,158

53.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.27 ₱202

196.02%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.39 ₱86.0

169.06%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.75 ₱46.48

116.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.34 ₱20.82

241.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.86 ₱52.9

275.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.28 ₱141

107.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.96 ₱182

-44.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.04 ₱64.1

164.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.00 ₱61.5

87.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.70 ₱105

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.13 ₱501

25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.75 ₱231

120.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.22 ₱384

90.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.18 ₱258

-27.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.78 ₱47.91

132.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.88 ₱116

6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.86 ₱115

7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.65 ₱102

26.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.20 ₱136

3.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$2.39 ₱148

-38.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.51 ₱31.47

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.44 ₱150

78.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$4.38 ₱270

287.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.38 ₱85.2

25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.44 ₱150

46.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.30 ₱18.31

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$6.18 ₱381

202.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.84 ₱51.7

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.22 ₱13.54

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$1.18 ₱72.7

344.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.95 ₱58.9

41.05%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$18.0K ₱1.1M

7.90%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$23.4K ₱1.4M

1.80%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$87.8 ₱5,415

-53.66%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$32.30 ₱1,992

-16.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$20.32 ₱1,253

50.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$34.02 ₱2,098

55.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$4.44 ₱274

500.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.08 ₱313

28.15%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$151 ₱9,307

183.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$4,361 ₱269.0K

140.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$46.26 ₱2,853

23.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.16 ₱2,107

33.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$67.7 ₱4,175

53.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$116 ₱7,157

-7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$126 ₱7,768

696.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$74.5 ₱4,592

736.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$197 ₱12.1K

973.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$141 ₱8,686

764.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,433 ₱150.0K

59.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,072 ₱66.1K

89.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$197 ₱12.2K

426.34%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $126 in Nueva Ecija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 426% 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 $292 vs $201 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 122% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $656 including rent). Nueva Ecija is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 426% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $126 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 202% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $151 in Nueva Ecija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $656 in Nueva Ecija versus $1,456 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 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.