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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $663 in Pampanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,114 in Pampanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,566 in Pampanga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 124% more expensive than Pampanga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pampanga is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.15 ₱194

312.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$17.78 ₱1,097

198.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.14 ₱193

209.55%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.71 ₱167

38.38%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.43 ₱26.30

265.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.38 ₱23.64

197.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.19 ₱73.6

167.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.34 ₱144

99.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.44 ₱88.9

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.14 ₱70.2

137.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.85 ₱52.3

121.18%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.45 ₱89.5

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$4.34 ₱268

132.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.94 ₱181

181.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.10 ₱438

68.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.16 ₱134

32.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.09 ₱67.2

60.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.31 ₱143

-9.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.92 ₱56.9

114.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.69 ₱105

27.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.79 ₱110

21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.96 ₱59.2

44.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.61 ₱37.56

83.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.18 ₱135

92.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.24 ₱385

128.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.78 ₱48.39

125.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.39 ₱86.0

164.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.29 ₱17.92

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$11.52 ₱711

61.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.77 ₱47.20

80.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.29 ₱18.00

3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.07 ₱128

161.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.16 ₱71.5

16.38%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$17.8K ₱1.1M

6.38%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$17.9K ₱1.1M

29.65%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$129 ₱7,980

-68.45%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$26.24 ₱1,618

4.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$26.33 ₱1,624

15.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$50.6 ₱3,121

5.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$4.36 ₱269

503.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$4.34 ₱268

44.47%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$126 ₱7,800

244.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,792 ₱110.5K

484.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$29.11 ₱1,796

94.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$26.13 ₱1,612

71.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$60.4 ₱3,726

70.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$42.61 ₱2,628

153.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$153 ₱9,407

555.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$95.8 ₱5,910

547.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$595 ₱36.7K

258.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$414 ₱25.5K

198.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,387 ₱147.2K

61.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,321 ₱81.5K

76.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$299 ₱18.5K

256.42%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pampanga: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $153 in Pampanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 256% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Pampanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $154 per month, with Pampanga 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 Pampanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pampanga differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $663 including rent). Pampanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 256% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $153 in Pampanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pampanga runs roughly 62% 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 $126 in Pampanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $663 in Pampanga versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pampanga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pampanga 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 Pampanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.