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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $653 in Pampanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,093 in Pampanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,533 in Pampanga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 122% more expensive than Pampanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$3.05 ₱184

324.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$17.48 ₱1,053

199.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$3.12 ₱188

210.58%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$2.73 ₱164

37.36%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.40 ₱23.91

290.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.36 ₱21.44

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.14 ₱68.4

184.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.44 ₱147

100.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.49 ₱89.8

14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.08 ₱65.2

147.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$0.90 ₱54.5

110.00%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.50 ₱90.0

68.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$4.55 ₱274

120.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$2.98 ₱180

186.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$7.18 ₱432

66.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.11 ₱127

40.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.04 ₱62.5

72.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.34 ₱141

-14.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$0.92 ₱55.6

113.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.64 ₱99.1

31.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.75 ₱105

29.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.97 ₱58.4

44.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.62 ₱37.51

79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$2.08 ₱125

101.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$6.28 ₱378

163.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$0.79 ₱47.31

112.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.38 ₱83.1

160.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.29 ₱17.53

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$11.38 ₱685

68.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.84 ₱50.3

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.29 ₱17.49

3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$2.11 ₱127

155.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.14 ₱68.7

13.16%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$18.1K ₱1.1M

4.53%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$17.4K ₱1.0M

37.06%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$131 ₱7,870

-69.50%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$26.60 ₱1,602

4.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$26.17 ₱1,576

13.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$51.6 ₱3,108

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$4.46 ₱269

487.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$4.37 ₱263

43.48%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$122 ₱7,365

253.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$1,766 ₱106.4K

496.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$28.70 ₱1,729

98.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$26.55 ₱1,599

70.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$59.1 ₱3,559

72.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$42.61 ₱2,566

154.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$149 ₱8,983

566.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$97.4 ₱5,866

533.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$596 ₱35.9K

250.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$415 ₱25.0K

202.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$2,487 ₱149.8K

58.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$998 ₱60.1K

109.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$300 ₱18.1K

276.54%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Pampanga: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $149 in Pampanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 277% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Pampanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $155 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 122% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $653 including rent). Pampanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 277% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $149 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 69% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $122 in Pampanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $653 in Pampanga versus $1,448 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 122% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.