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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $845 in Pangasinan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,252 in Pangasinan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,658 in Pangasinan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 76% more expensive than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pangasinan is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$1.35 ₱83.3

861.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$14.91 ₱920

255.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.03 ₱187

220.79%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$0.94 ₱57.9

298.94%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.46 ₱28.39

241.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.26 ₱16.01

334.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.36 ₱83.6

133.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.16 ₱133

115.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.21 ₱74.6

33.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.93 ₱57.3

191.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.83 ₱51.0

126.51%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.27 ₱140

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.92 ₱489

27.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.38 ₱270

89.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.74 ₱478

54.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$4.46 ₱275

-35.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.00 ₱123

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.59 ₱160

-19.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.28 ₱141

-13.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$3.39 ₱209

-36.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.84 ₱175

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.13 ₱69.6

23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.00 ₱62.0

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.96 ₱182

41.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.04 ₱496

77.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.25 ₱77.1

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.30 ₱142

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.28 ₱17.43

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.77 ₱47.37

80.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.13 ₱7.73

130.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$3.50 ₱216

54.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.11 ₱68.4

21.62%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$33.3K ₱2.1M

-43.35%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$22.1K ₱1.4M

4.91%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$173 ₱10.7K

-76.38%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$26.91 ₱1,660

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$35.75 ₱2,205

-15.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$33.68 ₱2,077

58.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$4.50 ₱278

484.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$8.01 ₱494

-21.72%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$153 ₱9,446

184.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,366 ₱269.3K

139.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$60.6 ₱3,741

-6.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$35.42 ₱2,185

26.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$84.7 ₱5,226

21.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$53.4 ₱3,291

102.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$271 ₱16.7K

269.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$180 ₱11.1K

244.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$588 ₱36.3K

263.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$400 ₱24.7K

208.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,066 ₱127.5K

87.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $271 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 $286 vs $218 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $845 including rent). Pangasinan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,268 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $271 in Pangasinan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $153 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 $845 in Pangasinan versus $1,484 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 76% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.