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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $688 in Puerto Princesa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,032 in Puerto Princesa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,376 in Puerto Princesa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 141% more expensive than in Puerto Princesa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Puerto Princesa is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$4.31 ₱270

176.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$16.98 ₱1,065

203.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$4.41 ₱277

158.73%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.32 ₱146

71.98%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.90 ₱56.3

84.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.49 ₱30.74

171.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$1.21 ₱75.9

186.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.35 ₱147

151.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.66 ₱104

13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.94 ₱59.0

245.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$0.76 ₱47.93

184.21%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.73 ₱108

67.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$5.26 ₱330

144.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.51 ₱345

82.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$6.83 ₱429

132.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.25 ₱141

46.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$0.89 ₱56.0

125.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$2.09 ₱131

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.17 ₱73.5

101.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.54 ₱96.5

33.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.38 ₱86.7

37.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.80 ₱50.1

101.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.68 ₱42.51

105.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$2.89 ₱181

88.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.26 ₱455

143.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.00 ₱62.8

106.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.30 ₱81.3

260.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.25 ₱15.56

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$10.30 ₱646

102.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.78 ₱48.99

169.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.22 ₱13.73

154.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$1.92 ₱120

202.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.05 ₱65.8

53.33%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$17.2K ₱1.1M

32.72%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

39.97%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$61.2 ₱3,840

6.45%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$10.89 ₱683

176.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$24.36 ₱1,528

52.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$31.20 ₱1,957

91.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$4.43 ₱278

499.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.21 ₱327

35.12%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$135 ₱8,462

244.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$8,668 ₱543.6K

53.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$31.74 ₱1,991

139.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$19.57 ₱1,228

185.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$72.4 ₱4,538

54.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$54.8 ₱3,434

120.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$281 ₱17.6K

291.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$203 ₱12.7K

255.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$507 ₱31.8K

399.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$313 ₱19.6K

313.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,541 ₱159.4K

57.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,043 ₱65.4K

100.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$226 ₱14.2K

358.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.12

39.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $281 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 359% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $17.00 in Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $171 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 141% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $688 including rent). Puerto Princesa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 359% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $281 in Puerto Princesa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Princesa runs roughly 102% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $135 in Puerto Princesa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $688 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,660 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 141% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.