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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $898 in Puerto Galera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,377 in Puerto Galera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,855 in Puerto Galera.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 62% more expensive than in Puerto Galera, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Puerto Galera is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.83 ₱298

170.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$21.45 ₱1,323

150.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.14 ₱194

208.28%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.93 ₱181

27.65%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.92 ₱57.0

76.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.34 ₱21.27

241.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.26 ₱77.8

156.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.60 ₱160

82.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.19 ₱135

-24.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.26 ₱77.5

118.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.06 ₱65.6

76.42%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.00 ₱124

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.20 ₱444

41.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.34 ₱268

90.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.33 ₱452

61.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.35 ₱268

-30.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.54 ₱95.2

17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.99 ₱185

-33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.72 ₱106

16.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.83 ₱175

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$4.07 ₱251

-44.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.61 ₱99.5

-9.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.00 ₱61.8

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.10 ₱191

40.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.78 ₱480

118.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.62 ₱99.8

6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.96 ₱121

82.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.26 ₱16.00

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.78 ₱48.22

70.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.27 ₱16.78

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.17 ₱134

141.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.11 ₱68.3

20.72%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$26.0K ₱1.6M

-25.29%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

15.01%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$161 ₱9,912

-74.68%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$33.44 ₱2,062

-19.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$30.25 ₱1,865

0.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$33.49 ₱2,065

57.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$4.47 ₱276

496.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.96 ₱429

-6.47%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$82.6 ₱5,091

418.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$2,815 ₱173.6K

273.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$31.98 ₱1,972

79.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$30.15 ₱1,859

50.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$97.8 ₱6,033

6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$94.9 ₱5,852

13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$271 ₱16.7K

270.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$174 ₱10.8K

256.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$585 ₱36.1K

260.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$400 ₱24.7K

204.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,254 ₱139.0K

72.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,118 ₱68.9K

81.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.13

39.48%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Galera: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $271 in Puerto Galera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Puerto Galera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $226 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $898 including rent). Puerto Galera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,347 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $271 in Puerto Galera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $82.6 in Puerto Galera. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Galera – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Puerto Galera versus $1,456 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 62% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.