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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Mexico City versus $803 in Pangasinan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Mexico City versus $1,195 in Pangasinan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,319 in Mexico City versus $1,587 in Pangasinan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 94% more expensive than in Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Pangasinan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.12 MX$200

$1.18 ₱73.8

842.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.99 MX$880

$13.38 ₱839

266.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 MX$202

$4.04 ₱253

177.97%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$67.5

$2.55 ₱160

47.45%

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

$1.65 MX$29.69

$1.07 ₱67.0

54.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$22.98

$0.55 ₱34.22

132.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 MX$58.5

$0.82 ₱51.1

297.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 MX$102

$3.13 ₱196

80.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.52

$1.10 ₱68.9

64.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 MX$52.8

$0.84 ₱52.6

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$36.82

$0.74 ₱46.71

177.03%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$52.6

$2.40 ₱150

22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MX$215

$7.30 ₱458

63.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 MX$171

$4.87 ₱305

95.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 MX$267

$6.92 ₱434

114.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 MX$56.5

$2.45 ₱153

28.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.20

$2.02 ₱127

-0.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.29

$3.26 ₱204

-36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$39.86

$2.40 ₱151

-7.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.01

$3.57 ₱224

-42.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$33.73

$3.45 ₱217

-45.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$26.60

$1.11 ₱69.9

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$24.17

$0.55 ₱34.21

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 MX$97.2

$2.60 ₱163

108.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MX$303

$7.82 ₱491

115.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$35.66

$1.33 ₱83.6

48.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 MX$77.7

$2.03 ₱127

112.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.20

$0.25 ₱15.64

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.23 MX$363

$11.07 ₱694

82.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$37.65

$0.62 ₱38.63

238.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.53

$0.21 ₱13.11

152.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$97.1

$1.90 ₱119

184.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$27.31

$0.92 ₱57.8

65.22%

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

$21.7K MX$390.5K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

0.77%

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

$24.8K MX$445.9K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

27.85%

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

$63.0 MX$1,132

$154 ₱9,672

-59.17%

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

$28.88 MX$519

$16.37 ₱1,027

76.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 MX$610

$31.09 ₱1,950

9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 MX$1,002

$33.00 ₱2,069

69.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$447

$4.72 ₱296

427.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 MX$122

$7.31 ₱458

-7.39%

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

$428 MX$7,687

$134 ₱8,377

220.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$213.3K

$7,372 ₱462.4K

61.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MX$1,258

$34.00 ₱2,132

105.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MX$966

$19.48 ₱1,222

175.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,973

$82.5 ₱5,172

33.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 MX$2,070

$55.6 ₱3,488

107.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 MX$19.1K

$271 ₱17.0K

292.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 MX$12.1K

$183 ₱11.5K

266.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 MX$42.8K

$520 ₱32.6K

357.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 MX$22.6K

$357 ₱22.4K

252.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,716 MX$66.8K

$2,486 ₱155.9K

49.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$35.5K

$1,000 ₱62.7K

97.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

7.5

50.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Mexico City and $271 in Pangasinan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $13.00 in Pangasinan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $203 per month, with Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pangasinan differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($1,561 vs $803 including rent). Pangasinan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,341 in Mexico City and $1,204 in Pangasinan 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: $1,062 in Mexico City versus $271 in Pangasinan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pangasinan runs roughly 83% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $134 in Pangasinan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $803 in Pangasinan versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pangasinan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.