Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Quezon City Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Quezon City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $906 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,375 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,844 in Quezon City.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Quezon City is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.89 ₱302

169.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$21.49 ₱1,325

150.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.12 ₱192

201.92%

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 ₱23.27

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

$2.71 ₱167

70.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.16 ₱133

-21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.20 ₱74.1

126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.08 ₱66.4

76.85%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.03 ₱125

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.10 ₱438

41.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.24 ₱261

90.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.39 ₱456

57.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.36 ₱269

-31.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.60 ₱98.6

13.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.98 ₱184

-32.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.63 ₱101

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.89 ₱178

-26.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$4.16 ₱256

-45.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.57 ₱97.0

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.05 ₱64.5

7.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.13 ₱193

36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.20 ₱444

116.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.55 ₱95.4

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.02 ₱125

78.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.46 ₱28.17

-17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.84 ₱51.6

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.25 ₱15.24

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.16 ₱133

152.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.09 ₱67.1

19.27%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$25.3K ₱1.6M

-26.00%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.2K ₱1.2M

14.31%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$161 ₱9,945

-74.67%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$33.64 ₱2,074

-20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$30.00 ₱1,850

-0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$24.35 ₱1,501

113.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$6.34 ₱391

323.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.22 ₱445

-12.74%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$79.8 ₱4,920

446.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$2,821 ₱173.9K

269.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$31.80 ₱1,961

78.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$29.11 ₱1,795

52.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$98.7 ₱6,085

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$95.6 ₱5,894

10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$274 ₱16.9K

273.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$198 ₱12.2K

217.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$737 ₱45.5K

189.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$430 ₱26.5K

189.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,363 ₱145.7K

65.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,479 ₱91.2K

39.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$436 ₱26.9K

155.67%

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 Quezon City: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $274 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 156% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $224 per month, with Quezon City 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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Quezon City differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $906 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 156% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $274 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $79.8 in Quezon City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quezon City – 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 $906 in Quezon City versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quezon City 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 Quezon City 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 Quezon City 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.