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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $822 in Puerto Princesa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,201 in Puerto Princesa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,580 in Puerto Princesa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than Puerto Princesa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Puerto Princesa is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$4.09 ₱252

217.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$26.83 ₱1,655

97.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.21 ₱260

130.88%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.43 ₱150

54.32%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.69 ₱42.45

127.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.41 ₱25.42

175.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.25 ₱77.1

154.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.76 ₱109

164.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.53 ₱94.5

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.14 ₱70.1

137.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.86 ₱53.3

118.60%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.90 ₱117

32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.95 ₱552

12.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.08 ₱314

63.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$6.31 ₱389

89.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.63 ₱224

-21.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.01 ₱62.4

73.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.63 ₱224

-42.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$0.90 ₱55.7

118.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.72 ₱106

25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.32 ₱81.1

65.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$2.72 ₱168

-48.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.74 ₱45.56

51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.93 ₱181

43.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.19 ₱443

98.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.12 ₱69.0

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.81 ₱111

103.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.26 ₱15.93

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.75 ₱108

-20.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.24 ₱14.82

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.09 ₱129

159.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.16 ₱71.6

16.38%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$14.0K ₱865.2K

34.62%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

12.48%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$119 ₱7,324

-65.62%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$13.53 ₱835

103.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$34.32 ₱2,117

-11.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$26.60 ₱1,641

100.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$4.40 ₱271

497.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.30 ₱327

18.30%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$62.8 ₱3,875

594.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,240 ₱261.5K

146.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$45.10 ₱2,782

25.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$26.45 ₱1,631

69.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$75.7 ₱4,669

35.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$53.4 ₱3,296

101.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$291 ₱18.0K

243.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$225 ₱13.9K

175.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$449 ₱27.7K

375.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$311 ₱19.2K

297.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,338 ₱144.2K

65.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,142 ₱70.5K

104.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$232 ₱14.3K

359.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

8.25

37.45%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $291 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 360% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $27.00 in Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $203 per month, with Puerto Princesa 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 Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Puerto Princesa differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $822 including rent). Puerto Princesa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 360% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $291 in Puerto Princesa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $62.8 in Puerto Princesa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Princesa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $822 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Princesa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Princesa 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 Princesa 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 Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.