Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Galera Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Puerto Galera

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $831 in Puerto Galera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,241 in Puerto Galera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,651 in Puerto Galera.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 102% more expensive than in Puerto Galera, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Puerto Galera is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.53 ₱284

167.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$19.42 ₱1,217

177.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$2.83 ₱178

291.87%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.68 ₱168

52.99%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.69 ₱43.02

143.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.27 ₱16.91

414.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.40 ₱87.7

137.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.88 ₱181

104.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.73 ₱108

6.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.19 ₱74.6

166.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.85 ₱53.4

143.53%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.74 ₱109

68.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.62 ₱415

90.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.12 ₱258

145.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.02 ₱440

129.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.89 ₱244

-12.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.38 ₱86.7

50.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.50 ₱219

-39.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.13 ₱70.9

113.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.27 ₱142

-6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$3.32 ₱208

-39.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.38 ₱86.5

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.97 ₱60.5

40.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.78 ₱174

107.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.39 ₱463

140.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.31 ₱82.1

58.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.85 ₱116

149.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.27 ₱16.94

37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$11.11 ₱696

90.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.77 ₱48.13

166.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.23 ₱14.43

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.52 ₱158

140.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.19 ₱74.6

30.25%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

7.76%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

43.75%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$169 ₱10.6K

-60.19%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$14.81 ₱928

106.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$24.80 ₱1,555

50.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$32.14 ₱2,015

91.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$4.94 ₱310

448.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.11 ₱446

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

$456 MX$7,739

$72.8 ₱4,562

526.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$2,530 ₱158.6K

441.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$35.70 ₱2,238

107.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$23.23 ₱1,456

145.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$78.6 ₱4,927

46.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$77.0 ₱4,829

57.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$267 ₱16.7K

329.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$175 ₱11.0K

304.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$510 ₱32.0K

405.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$346 ₱21.7K

274.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,618 ₱164.1K

53.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,026 ₱64.3K

107.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

61.43%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Puerto Galera: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $267 in Puerto Galera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Puerto Galera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $204 per month, with Puerto Galera 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 Puerto Galera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto Galera differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $831 including rent). Puerto Galera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,515 in Mexico City and $1,246 in Puerto Galera 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $267 in Puerto Galera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Galera runs roughly 91% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $72.8 in Puerto Galera. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $831 in Puerto Galera versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Galera but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Galera 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 Puerto Galera 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 Puerto Galera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.