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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $648 in Pampanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,107 in Pampanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,565 in Pampanga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 127% more expensive than in Pampanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pampanga is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.01 ₱184

336.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$17.48 ₱1,070

206.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.17 ₱194

194.32%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.72 ₱166

36.03%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.43 ₱26.05

272.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.35 ₱21.70

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.15 ₱70.5

173.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.35 ₱144

106.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.43 ₱87.8

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.14 ₱69.5

137.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.84 ₱51.5

127.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.44 ₱88.4

79.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$4.30 ₱263

128.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$2.98 ₱183

182.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.43 ₱455

60.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.10 ₱129

40.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.04 ₱63.6

67.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.23 ₱137

-8.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.01 ₱61.6

103.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.64 ₱100

31.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.80 ₱110

25.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.91 ₱55.9

52.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.66 ₱40.63

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.08 ₱127

102.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.02 ₱369

190.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.74 ₱45.56

131.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.40 ₱85.5

159.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.27 ₱16.40

29.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$11.60 ₱710

66.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.83 ₱50.5

66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.27 ₱16.49

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.15 ₱132

145.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.16 ₱71.0

17.24%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$17.6K ₱1.1M

8.51%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$17.6K ₱1.1M

34.05%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$130 ₱7,962

-68.84%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$27.07 ₱1,657

1.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$26.10 ₱1,597

16.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$51.0 ₱3,122

2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$4.40 ₱269

501.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$4.49 ₱275

37.86%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$124 ₱7,581

243.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$1,749 ₱107.1K

513.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$28.98 ₱1,774

101.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$26.22 ₱1,605

69.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$59.9 ₱3,664

72.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$41.28 ₱2,527

163.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$149 ₱9,115

580.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$97.9 ₱5,992

536.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$592 ₱36.3K

257.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$427 ₱26.1K

186.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,444 ₱149.6K

55.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$964 ₱59.0K

118.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$298 ₱18.2K

253.38%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Pampanga: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $149 in Pampanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 253% 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 Pampanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 127% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $648 including rent). Pampanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 253% 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: $1,014 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $124 in Pampanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $648 in Pampanga versus $1,472 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 127% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.