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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $3,160 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $5,809 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $8,458 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 11% above, Philipsburg 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$15.11 ANG 26.98

-13.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$76.0 ANG 136

-29.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$8.22 ANG 14.68

13.50%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$4.25 ANG 7.58

-12.94%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$2.93 ANG 5.22

-45.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$3.72 ANG 6.64

-69.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.97 ANG 5.30

5.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$4.97 ANG 8.88

-2.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-43.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$3.19 ANG 5.69

-15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.94 ANG 5.26

-35.03%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$6.33 ANG 11.31

-59.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$18.26 ANG 32.59

-46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$16.79 ANG 29.98

-49.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$19.40 ANG 34.62

-38.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$5.90 ANG 10.54

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$6.12 ANG 10.92

-71.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$9.09 ANG 16.22

-77.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$6.45 ANG 11.52

-68.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$4.08 ANG 7.28

-47.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$3.92 ANG 7.00

-42.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$4.46 ANG 7.97

-68.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.96 ANG 3.49

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$8.18 ANG 14.61

-48.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$10.85 ANG 19.37

61.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$3.36 ANG 6.00

-49.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.81 ANG 5.01

29.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.52 ANG 2.71

-76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$15.15 ANG 27.04

-90.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$4.86 ANG 8.67

-94.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.42 ANG 2.53

-4.23%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

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

$40.53 MX$701

$229 ANG 410

-82.34%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$32.15 ANG 57.4

-14.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$71.3 ANG 127

-57.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$61.5 ANG 110

-15.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$13.24 ANG 23.63

-53.25%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$380 ANG 679

11.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$11.2K ANG 19.9K

-3.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$1,931 ANG 3,447

-47.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$1,876 ANG 3,348

-66.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$5,653 ANG 10.1K

-62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$5,752 ANG 10.3K

-78.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$1,115 ANG 1,991

-5.67%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $1,931 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 6% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $76.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $536 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 115% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $3,160 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $1,931 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $380 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 $54.0 versus $76.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $3,160 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 115% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.