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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $881 in Puerto Galera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,347 in Puerto Galera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,813 in Puerto Galera.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than Puerto Galera, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Puerto Galera is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.91 ₱303

168.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$21.69 ₱1,337

148.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.16 ₱195

198.10%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.85 ₱176

24.56%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.92 ₱56.8

76.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.38 ₱23.26

192.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.22 ₱75.3

155.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.59 ₱160

78.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.14 ₱132

-20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.21 ₱74.7

124.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.06 ₱65.3

80.19%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.96 ₱121

29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.04 ₱434

42.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.17 ₱257

94.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.22 ₱445

60.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.47 ₱275

-33.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.52 ₱94.0

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.86 ₱177

-29.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.63 ₱100

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.80 ₱173

-24.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$4.13 ₱255

-45.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.58 ₱97.6

-11.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.00 ₱61.9

13.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.27 ₱201

30.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.49 ₱462

107.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.60 ₱98.7

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.01 ₱124

79.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.28 ₱17.44

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.77 ₱47.28

79.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.27 ₱16.77

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.17 ₱134

151.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.15 ₱70.6

13.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.0K ₱1.6M

-28.16%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

15.36%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$165 ₱10.1K

-75.17%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$33.34 ₱2,056

-19.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$30.06 ₱1,854

-0.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.34 ₱2,056

56.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.39 ₱271

511.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.17 ₱442

-12.13%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$81.9 ₱5,048

432.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,775 ₱171.1K

275.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$31.89 ₱1,966

77.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$29.78 ₱1,836

49.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$96.4 ₱5,942

6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$95.4 ₱5,883

10.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$271 ₱16.7K

277.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$174 ₱10.7K

262.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$587 ₱36.2K

264.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$394 ₱24.3K

215.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,176 ₱134.2K

79.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$896 ₱55.3K

130.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Puerto Galera: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 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 $22.00 in Puerto Galera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $222 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 67% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $881 including rent). Puerto Galera is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,321 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: $1,022 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 $436 in Mexico City versus $81.9 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 $22.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $881 in Puerto Galera versus $1,467 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 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.