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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $725 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,460 in Pagadian.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 129% more expensive than in Pagadian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Pagadian is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.79 ₱238

214.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$16.92 ₱1,063

204.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$2.83 ₱178

303.18%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$1.93 ₱121

106.74%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$0.87 ₱54.8

90.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.25 ₱15.73

432.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$1.45 ₱90.9

139.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$1.84 ₱115

220.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.61 ₱101

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$1.03 ₱64.5

215.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.92 ₱57.5

134.78%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$2.16 ₱136

34.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$5.03 ₱316

155.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$4.14 ₱260

142.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.24 ₱392

154.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$2.43 ₱153

35.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.73 ₱109

16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.55 ₱160

-13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$1.10 ₱69.3

114.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$2.06 ₱129

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$2.09 ₱131

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$0.87 ₱55.0

85.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$0.59 ₱37.18

137.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$2.48 ₱156

120.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.83 ₱492

125.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$0.99 ₱62.5

108.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$1.83 ₱115

155.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$0.27 ₱17.05

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

$10.88 ₱684

91.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$0.74 ₱46.70

183.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$0.27 ₱17.21

107.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.64 ₱103

254.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.04 ₱65.1

54.81%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$22.9K ₱1.4M

-0.29%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$17.1K ₱1.1M

56.25%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$119 ₱7,488

-45.31%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$12.88 ₱809

133.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$27.46 ₱1,725

35.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$28.52 ₱1,792

109.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

$4.94 ₱310

437.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.07 ₱318

38.86%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$135 ₱8,472

244.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$7,139 ₱448.5K

85.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$31.18 ₱1,959

143.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$21.29 ₱1,337

162.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$66.9 ₱4,206

67.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$62.5 ₱3,924

92.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$268 ₱16.8K

311.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$163 ₱10.2K

342.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$494 ₱31.1K

411.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$356 ₱22.3K

263.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$2,874 ₱180.6K

38.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,125 ₱70.7K

85.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

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 14, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $268 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $177 per month, with Pagadian 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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pagadian differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $725 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $1,088 in Pagadian to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $268 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pagadian runs roughly 91% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $135 in Pagadian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $725 in Pagadian versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.