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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $3,098 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $5,842 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $8,587 in Philipsburg.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 53% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 9% above, Philipsburg 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$14.89 ANG 26.57

-12.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$73.5 ANG 131

-28.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$7.97 ANG 14.23

21.58%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$4.43 ANG 7.90

-15.35%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$2.97 ANG 5.30

-47.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$3.60 ANG 6.42

-67.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$3.03 ANG 5.41

6.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$5.11 ANG 9.12

-4.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$3.06 ANG 5.46

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$3.18 ANG 5.68

-16.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$2.99 ANG 5.33

-36.79%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$6.58 ANG 11.74

-61.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$18.48 ANG 32.99

-45.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$16.83 ANG 30.04

-49.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$19.80 ANG 35.34

-39.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$5.98 ANG 10.67

-50.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$5.92 ANG 10.56

-69.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$9.35 ANG 16.68

-78.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$6.43 ANG 11.47

-69.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$3.93 ANG 7.02

-45.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$3.97 ANG 7.08

-42.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$4.43 ANG 7.90

-68.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$1.97 ANG 3.52

-43.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$7.78 ANG 13.89

-46.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$10.91 ANG 19.47

51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$3.32 ANG 5.93

-49.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$2.87 ANG 5.11

25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$1.47 ANG 2.62

-73.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$14.94 ANG 26.67

-90.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$4.85 ANG 8.66

-93.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.44 ANG 2.56

-10.42%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

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

$39.86 MX$686

$222 ANG 397

-82.06%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$32.97 ANG 58.9

-15.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$69.2 ANG 123

-56.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$63.3 ANG 113

-17.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$12.75 ANG 22.76

-50.82%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$371 ANG 662

16.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$11.1K ANG 19.9K

-5.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$1,970 ANG 3,517

-49.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$1,875 ANG 3,347

-67.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$5,726 ANG 10.2K

-63.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$5,589 ANG 9,976

-77.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$1,104 ANG 1,970

2.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.75

97.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $1,970 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $74.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $540 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 114% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $3,098 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 3% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $1,970 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $371 in Philipsburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $74.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,448 in Mexico City versus $3,098 in Philipsburg, a $2,000 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 114% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.