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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $777 in Siargao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,219 in Siargao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,662 in Siargao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 91% more expensive than Siargao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Siargao is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$3.62 ₱220

258.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$922

$19.32 ₱1,174

174.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$3.25 ₱197

199.08%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$2.50 ₱152

50.00%

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

$1.57 MX$27.27

$0.79 ₱47.88

98.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.62

$0.39 ₱23.87

189.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$1.24 ₱75.3

156.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.0

$2.15 ₱131

116.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.18

$1.83 ₱111

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.04

$1.25 ₱76.3

116.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.66

$1.03 ₱62.4

82.52%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.60

$2.08 ₱127

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$7.94 ₱483

26.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.28 ₱260

93.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$7.76 ₱471

53.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.71

$2.85 ₱173

0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.41

$1.55 ₱94.3

12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.23

$2.61 ₱159

-20.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.23

$1.55 ₱94.4

27.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.53

$2.32 ₱141

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.89

$2.58 ₱157

-15.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.17

$1.07 ₱64.8

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.55

$0.75 ₱45.82

49.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.0

$2.90 ₱176

44.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$6.65 ₱404

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.64

$1.15 ₱70.0

53.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.0

$2.03 ₱124

81.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.70

$0.28 ₱17.08

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$324

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.09

$0.81 ₱49.29

71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.28

$0.24 ₱14.66

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.2

$2.09 ₱127

159.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.47

$1.11 ₱67.5

21.62%

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

$18.9K MX$328.2K

$26.9K ₱1.6M

-29.92%

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

$23.2K MX$402.4K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

11.22%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$112 ₱6,832

-63.69%

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

$27.50 MX$478

$32.29 ₱1,962

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$528

$27.94 ₱1,698

8.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$929

$34.37 ₱2,089

55.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$457

$4.36 ₱265

503.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$6.00 ₱365

4.50%

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

$436 MX$7,580

$154 ₱9,374

182.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.9K

$4,321 ₱262.6K

142.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$987

$46.59 ₱2,831

21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$778

$26.07 ₱1,584

71.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,787

$75.4 ₱4,582

36.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,875

$53.7 ₱3,260

101.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$262 ₱15.9K

280.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$176 ₱10.7K

252.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.1K

$577 ₱35.1K

270.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$393 ₱23.9K

214.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.2K

$2,335 ₱141.9K

65.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

$829 ₱50.4K

181.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Siargao: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $262 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53 in Mexico City vs $19 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $202 per month, with Siargao 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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Siargao differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $777 including rent). Siargao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,165 in Siargao to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $262 in Siargao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $154 in Siargao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Siargao – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Siargao versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Siargao but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Siargao 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.

Expats usually find Siargao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.