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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $521 in Nueva Ecija.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $935 in Nueva Ecija.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,349 in Nueva Ecija.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 222% more expensive than in Nueva Ecija, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Nueva Ecija is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.01 ₱251

202.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$16.60 ₱1,040

224.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$2.76 ₱173

301.81%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$1.46 ₱91.3

180.82%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.57 ₱35.43

194.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.32 ₱19.94

334.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.01 ₱63.4

229.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$1.56 ₱97.6

276.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.61 ₱101

14.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.90 ₱56.4

252.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.88 ₱55.1

135.23%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.60 ₱100

83.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$5.18 ₱325

143.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.46 ₱217

192.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$5.67 ₱355

183.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.26 ₱141

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$0.75 ₱46.89

177.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.71 ₱107

23.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.04 ₱65.5

131.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.67 ₱105

27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.78 ₱112

12.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$0.66 ₱41.29

134.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.42 ₱26.49

223.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.19 ₱137

163.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$4.50 ₱282

294.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$0.90 ₱56.3

130.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.10 ₱132

119.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.27 ₱16.87

37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$5.66 ₱355

274.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.69 ₱43.51

197.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.18 ₱11.20

222.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$1.03 ₱64.6

489.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$0.86 ₱54.0

80.23%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$16.3K ₱1.0M

40.36%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

42.24%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$81.0 ₱5,080

-16.81%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$17.83 ₱1,118

71.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$18.13 ₱1,136

105.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$31.73 ₱1,989

93.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$4.87 ₱306

456.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.40 ₱276

61.59%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$134 ₱8,392

240.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$10.6K ₱665.1K

29.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$29.60 ₱1,856

150.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$19.35 ₱1,213

194.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$70.8 ₱4,435

63.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$56.6 ₱3,545

114.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$118 ₱7,381

874.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$66.8 ₱4,188

961.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$175 ₱11.0K

1369.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$346 ₱21.7K

274.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,545 ₱159.5K

57.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,045 ₱65.5K

103.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$189 ₱11.8K

473.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.75

67.41%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $118 in Nueva Ecija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 474% 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 $17.00 in Nueva Ecija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $147 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 222% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $521 including rent). Nueva Ecija is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 474% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $118 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 274% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $134 in Nueva Ecija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $521 in Nueva Ecija versus $1,677 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 222% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.