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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $898 in Pasay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,290 in Pasay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,682 in Pasay.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 65% more expensive than Pasay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Pasay is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$4.71 ₱291

175.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$20.86 ₱1,287

154.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.12 ₱192

211.54%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.22 ₱137

68.92%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.58 ₱35.65

170.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.38 ₱23.16

197.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.08 ₱66.3

194.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.48 ₱91.4

214.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.01 ₱124

-19.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.25 ₱77.0

116.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.92 ₱56.5

104.35%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.02 ₱124

24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$5.02 ₱310

100.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.28 ₱264

93.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$5.62 ₱347

112.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$4.46 ₱275

-35.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.60 ₱98.4

9.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.44 ₱151

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.69 ₱104

16.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.77 ₱171

-22.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$4.09 ₱252

-46.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.41 ₱86.9

-1.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.92 ₱56.8

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$3.11 ₱192

35.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.52 ₱464

89.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.03 ₱63.4

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.19 ₱73.4

209.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.22 ₱13.60

77.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.70 ₱43.06

98.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.27 ₱16.78

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.17 ₱134

149.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.09 ₱67.2

23.85%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$12.3K ₱761.5K

52.95%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$16.1K ₱992.5K

43.87%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$111 ₱6,831

-63.14%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$32.86 ₱2,027

-16.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$30.37 ₱1,873

0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$34.88 ₱2,151

53.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.06 ₱374

3.47%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$82.4 ₱5,080

429.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$2,774 ₱171.1K

277.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$32.10 ₱1,980

76.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$17.71 ₱1,092

152.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$84.5 ₱5,212

21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$70.0 ₱4,317

54.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$400 ₱24.7K

149.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$311 ₱19.2K

99.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$1,493 ₱92.1K

43.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$403 ₱24.9K

206.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,976 ₱121.9K

95.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$583 ₱35.9K

300.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$528 ₱32.6K

102.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

41.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pasay: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $400 in Pasay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 102% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Pasay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $204 per month, with Pasay 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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Pasay differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $898 including rent). Pasay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 102% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $400 in Pasay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $82.4 in Pasay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pasay – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Pasay versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pasay but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pasay 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Pasay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pasay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.