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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $836 in Pangasinan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,267 in Pangasinan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,699 in Pangasinan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 73% more expensive than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Pangasinan is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$1.31 ₱79.3

890.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$15.15 ₱920

247.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$3.15 ₱191

199.37%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$0.94 ₱57.2

279.79%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.42 ₱25.75

283.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.26 ₱15.59

342.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.39 ₱84.6

126.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.08 ₱127

133.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.26 ₱76.7

34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.87 ₱53.0

203.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$0.81 ₱49.17

134.57%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.24 ₱136

13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.23 ₱500

22.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.43 ₱269

87.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.98 ₱484

44.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$4.57 ₱278

-33.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.00 ₱122

-14.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.69 ₱163

-23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.25 ₱137

-8.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$3.28 ₱199

-37.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.86 ₱174

-24.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.08 ₱65.7

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.00 ₱60.9

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.86 ₱174

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.21 ₱498

87.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.24 ₱75.3

34.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.24 ₱136

64.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.26 ₱15.67

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.81 ₱49.24

70.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.14 ₱8.36

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$3.45 ₱210

57.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.15 ₱69.8

11.30%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$33.5K ₱2.0M

-43.33%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$21.8K ₱1.3M

7.87%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$173 ₱10.5K

-76.31%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$27.38 ₱1,663

-1.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$35.46 ₱2,153

-16.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$34.45 ₱2,092

51.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$4.33 ₱263

505.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$8.22 ₱499

-24.82%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$151 ₱9,173

182.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,392 ₱266.7K

143.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$58.4 ₱3,545

-2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$35.92 ₱2,181

24.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$85.5 ₱5,190

22.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$52.8 ₱3,204

100.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$263 ₱16.0K

278.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$177 ₱10.8K

250.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$590 ₱35.8K

260.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$400 ₱24.3K

213.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,469 ₱149.9K

58.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$965 ₱58.6K

117.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $263 in Pangasinan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in Pangasinan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $220 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 73% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $836 including rent). Pangasinan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,253 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $263 in Pangasinan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $151 in Pangasinan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pangasinan – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Pangasinan versus $1,447 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 73% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.