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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $896 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,374 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,851 in Quezon City.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.84 ₱298

170.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$21.35 ₱1,317

151.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$3.19 ₱197

203.45%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.86 ₱176

30.77%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.95 ₱58.4

70.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.35 ₱21.40

231.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.27 ₱78.2

154.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.58 ₱159

83.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.17 ₱134

-23.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.22 ₱75.2

125.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.07 ₱65.8

74.77%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.99 ₱123

25.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.14 ₱440

42.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.13 ₱255

99.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.00 ₱432

68.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.42 ₱273

-31.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.59 ₱97.9

13.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.96 ₱183

-32.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.63 ₱100

22.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.77 ₱171

-24.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$4.20 ₱259

-45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.59 ₱98.0

-8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.05 ₱64.8

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.20 ₱197

35.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.80 ₱481

117.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.54 ₱95.1

12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.99 ₱123

79.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.46 ₱28.35

-15.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.76 ₱47.14

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.25 ₱15.38

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$2.09 ₱129

151.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.14 ₱70.0

17.54%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$25.2K ₱1.6M

-22.99%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

15.17%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$167 ₱10.3K

-75.61%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$33.45 ₱2,063

-19.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$29.64 ₱1,828

2.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$24.65 ₱1,520

114.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$6.14 ₱379

334.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.00 ₱432

-7.00%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$82.6 ₱5,097

417.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$2,782 ₱171.6K

277.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$31.68 ₱1,954

80.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.16 ₱1,798

56.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$99.2 ₱6,115

4.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$93.9 ₱5,789

14.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$271 ₱16.7K

269.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$197 ₱12.1K

216.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$716 ₱44.2K

194.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$421 ₱26.0K

189.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,356 ₱145.3K

64.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,447 ₱89.3K

40.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$447 ₱27.6K

132.08%

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 Quezon City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Mexico City pays 132% 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 $292 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 ($1,456 vs $896 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $271 in Quezon City. 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 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 $896 in Quezon City versus $1,456 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.