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: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $787 in Pangasinan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,188 in Pangasinan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $1,589 in Pangasinan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 114% more expensive than in Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Pangasinan is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$1.20 ₱74.3

885.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$13.95 ₱860

273.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$3.98 ₱245

173.12%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$2.60 ₱160

55.00%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$1.10 ₱67.7

55.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.48 ₱29.51

179.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$0.78 ₱47.84

334.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$3.29 ₱203

74.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.17 ₱72.3

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.79 ₱48.59

301.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$0.75 ₱46.36

173.33%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$2.32 ₱143

29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$7.13 ₱440

76.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$5.12 ₱315

94.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$7.16 ₱441

123.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$2.33 ₱144

40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$2.04 ₱126

0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$2.50 ₱154

-16.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$2.05 ₱126

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$3.06 ₱189

-33.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$3.48 ₱214

-46.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$1.06 ₱65.5

48.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.56 ₱34.41

148.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$2.68 ₱165

100.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$7.88 ₱486

127.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.41 ₱86.8

43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$2.08 ₱128

128.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$0.24 ₱14.80

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$11.43 ₱705

81.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$0.68 ₱41.67

202.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.22 ₱13.52

154.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$2.00 ₱123

191.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.04 ₱63.9

48.08%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$22.0K ₱1.4M

2.28%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

29.82%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$153 ₱9,405

-56.76%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$16.49 ₱1,017

87.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$30.01 ₱1,850

20.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$37.02 ₱2,282

55.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$3.84 ₱237

596.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$7.21 ₱445

-1.11%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$133 ₱8,176

244.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$7,560 ₱466.1K

75.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$29.20 ₱1,800

159.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$20.02 ₱1,234

170.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$81.7 ₱5,034

42.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$57.6 ₱3,549

111.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$246 ₱15.2K

366.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$170 ₱10.5K

326.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$513 ₱31.6K

387.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$408 ₱25.2K

225.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$2,168 ₱133.7K

79.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$1,049 ₱64.7K

104.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

7.5

51.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $246 in Pangasinan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $14.00 in Pangasinan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $199 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 114% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $787 including rent). Pangasinan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,523 in Mexico City and $1,180 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $246 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $133 in Pangasinan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $787 in Pangasinan versus $1,682 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 114% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.