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: $1,656 in Mexico City versus $732 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,619 in Mexico City versus $1,109 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,581 in Mexico City versus $1,485 in Pagadian.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 126% more expensive than in Pagadian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Pagadian is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.04 ₱246

195.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 MX$903

$17.10 ₱1,042

206.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 MX$183

$1.68 ₱102

529.76%

Cappuccino

$3.90 MX$67.2

$1.84 ₱112

111.96%

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

$1.69 MX$29.10

$0.70 ₱42.96

141.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.84

$0.32 ₱19.28

312.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$1.12 ₱68.2

193.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 MX$97.2

$1.62 ₱99.1

247.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$30.73

$1.64 ₱100

8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 MX$53.7

$1.21 ₱73.6

157.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.52

$0.89 ₱54.1

131.46%

Eggs

$3.02 MX$52.1

$2.00 ₱122

51.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 MX$220

$5.37 ₱328

137.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 MX$170

$4.80 ₱293

105.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 MX$269

$7.22 ₱440

116.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 MX$58.8

$2.47 ₱150

38.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.71

$1.55 ₱94.8

29.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.03

$2.42 ₱147

-13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 MX$40.99

$1.13 ₱69.1

110.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.43

$2.20 ₱134

-4.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.10

$2.01 ₱123

-7.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.73

$0.84 ₱51.4

84.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.97

$0.56 ₱34.43

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$92.2

$2.93 ₱179

82.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.21 MX$297

$8.15 ₱497

111.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.84

$1.00 ₱60.9

102.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MX$81.6

$1.98 ₱121

138.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.34

$0.25 ₱15.07

48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.51 MX$354

$11.34 ₱691

80.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MX$34.39

$0.81 ₱49.51

145.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 MX$9.56

$0.28 ₱17.34

96.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 MX$97.4

$2.14 ₱130

163.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.43

$1.10 ₱67.1

39.09%

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

$22.7K MX$392.1K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

15.99%

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

$26.2K MX$452.2K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

30.89%

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

$65.7 MX$1,133

$125 ₱7,639

-47.61%

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

$30.37 MX$524

$14.48 ₱883

109.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.54 MX$613

$22.10 ₱1,347

60.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 MX$983

$28.85 ₱1,759

97.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.18 MX$452

$4.26 ₱260

514.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 MX$117

$4.85 ₱295

39.18%

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

$449 MX$7,744

$117 ₱7,122

284.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$230.4K

$7,498 ₱457.2K

78.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 MX$1,267

$33.37 ₱2,035

120.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 MX$930

$21.91 ₱1,336

145.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,916

$61.2 ₱3,730

81.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,105

$56.2 ₱3,423

117.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 MX$18.8K

$246 ₱15.0K

342.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 MX$12.1K

$200 ₱12.2K

250.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 MX$42.6K

$495 ₱30.2K

398.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.3K

$357 ₱21.8K

262.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,904 MX$67.4K

$2,574 ₱156.9K

51.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,117 MX$36.5K

$1,078 ₱65.7K

96.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,081 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.79

67.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 1, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,090 in Mexico City and $246 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 $339 vs $185 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 126% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $732 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,485 in Mexico City and $1,098 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: $1,090 in Mexico City versus $246 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 81% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $449 in Mexico City versus $117 in Pagadian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $732 in Pagadian versus $1,656 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 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.