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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $867 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,374 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,881 in Quezon City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than in Quezon City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Quezon City is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.50 ₱282

169.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$19.32 ₱1,211

178.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$2.85 ₱179

289.12%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.74 ₱172

49.64%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.75 ₱46.72

124.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.27 ₱16.69

414.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.46 ₱91.7

128.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.75 ₱172

113.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.67 ₱104

10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.17 ₱73.4

170.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$0.90 ₱56.4

130.00%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.83 ₱115

60.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.89 ₱432

82.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.06 ₱255

149.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.29 ₱457

120.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$4.03 ₱253

-15.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.38 ₱86.4

50.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$3.58 ₱224

-40.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.14 ₱71.2

111.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$2.27 ₱142

-6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$3.32 ₱208

-39.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.38 ₱86.5

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.93 ₱58.1

46.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.81 ₱176

105.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.70 ₱483

130.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.36 ₱85.2

52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.85 ₱116

149.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.37 ₱23.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$19.09 ₱1,197

10.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$0.84 ₱52.4

144.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.23 ₱14.45

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$2.61 ₱164

132.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.19 ₱74.5

30.25%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

9.18%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

43.81%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$165 ₱10.4K

-59.26%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$14.64 ₱918

109.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$25.14 ₱1,576

48.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$39.02 ₱2,446

57.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$3.28 ₱206

726.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.13 ₱447

-0.28%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$74.2 ₱4,650

515.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$2,512 ₱157.5K

445.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$35.27 ₱2,211

110.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$22.88 ₱1,435

149.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$77.6 ₱4,863

48.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$76.2 ₱4,776

59.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$313 ₱19.6K

266.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$185 ₱11.6K

282.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$744 ₱46.6K

246.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$530 ₱33.2K

144.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,327 ₱145.9K

72.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,409 ₱88.3K

51.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$437 ₱27.4K

147.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

61.43%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $313 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 147% 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 $19.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $206 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 93% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $867 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 147% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $313 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Quezon City runs roughly 11% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $74.2 in Quezon City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $867 in Quezon City versus $1,677 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 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.