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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $3,125 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $6,156 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $9,187 in Philipsburg.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 47% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 21% above, Philipsburg 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$15.29 ANG 27.30

-22.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$70.4 ANG 126

-26.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$8.31 ANG 14.82

37.30%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$4.23 ANG 7.55

-5.67%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$2.82 ANG 5.03

-41.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$3.94 ANG 7.03

-66.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.96 ANG 5.28

17.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$6.42 ANG 11.47

-8.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-35.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.64 ANG 4.70

23.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.51 ANG 4.48

-13.94%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$6.49 ANG 11.59

-55.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$18.68 ANG 33.34

-31.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$14.20 ANG 25.34

-29.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$14.91 ANG 26.62

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$5.09 ANG 9.09

-35.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$5.07 ANG 9.04

-60.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$8.83 ANG 15.77

-75.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$7.65 ANG 13.66

-69.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$3.90 ANG 6.96

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$4.11 ANG 7.33

-53.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$5.13 ANG 9.15

-68.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.29 ANG 2.31

8.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$7.76 ANG 13.86

-29.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$10.90 ANG 19.45

61.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$5.15 ANG 9.19

-60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$2.29 ANG 4.09

-85.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$1.53 ANG 2.74

1260.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$14.82 ANG 26.45

-85.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$149 ANG 265

-56.11%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$32.43 ANG 57.9

-7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$65.6 ANG 117

-43.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$62.0 ANG 111

-3.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$10.88 ANG 19.42

-35.29%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$250 ANG 447

85.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

10.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$2,158 ANG 3,852

-48.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$1,998 ANG 3,566

-63.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$6,575 ANG 11.7K

-61.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$6,605 ANG 11.8K

-80.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,128 ANG 2,014

-8.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

126.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 9% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $70.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $496 per month, with Mexico City 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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Philipsburg differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $3,125 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Philipsburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 1260% less than in Philipsburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $250 in Philipsburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $3,125 in Philipsburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.