Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Siargao

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $783 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
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Siargao Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Siargao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Siargao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $783 in Siargao.

Mexico City $1,608
Siargao $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,222 in Siargao.

Mexico City $2,549
Siargao $1,222

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,660 in Siargao.

Mexico City $3,490
Siargao $1,660

Living in Mexico City is roughly 105% more expensive than in Siargao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Siargao is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$3.66 ₱233

190.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$19.68 ₱1,253

145.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$3.32 ₱211

211.75%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$2.50 ₱160

47.60%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.83 ₱52.7

101.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.40 ₱25.27

217.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$1.29 ₱81.9

147.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$2.16 ₱137

145.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.92 ₱122

-10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.26 ₱80.2

141.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.93 ₱59.5

108.60%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$2.05 ₱131

40.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$8.11 ₱517

35.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$4.26 ₱272

117.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$7.51 ₱478

101.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.90 ₱185

5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.52 ₱97.1

27.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$2.59 ₱165

-21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.57 ₱99.8

47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$2.19 ₱140

-6.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$2.59 ₱165

-30.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.08 ₱68.6

37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.72 ₱45.97

76.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.80 ₱179

89.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$6.94 ₱442

131.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$1.16 ₱73.6

70.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$2.03 ₱129

109.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.26 ₱16.42

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$11.37 ₱724

73.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$0.78 ₱49.61

135.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.24 ₱15.37

120.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$2.09 ₱133

153.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.14 ₱72.5

32.46%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$26.6K ₱1.7M

-18.33%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$20.3K ₱1.3M

18.18%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$112 ₱7,124

-43.69%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$32.27 ₱2,056

-15.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$27.58 ₱1,757

29.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$33.95 ₱2,162

73.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$4.50 ₱287

425.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$5.98 ₱381

7.02%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$151 ₱9,619

185.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$4,239 ₱270.0K

169.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$45.52 ₱2,899

49.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$26.51 ₱1,689

100.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$76.5 ₱4,869

40.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$54.2 ₱3,450

116.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$263 ₱16.8K

322.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$173 ₱11.0K

310.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$580 ₱37.0K

345.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$387 ₱24.6K

263.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$2,322 ₱147.9K

56.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,123 ₱71.5K

90.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.67

70.16%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Siargao: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Siargao

$173 22.1% 75.6% $537

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Siargao

$202 25.8% 36.7% $117

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Siargao

$85 10.8% 57.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Siargao

$91 11.6% 41.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Siargao

$172 21.9% 36.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Siargao

$46 5.9% 36% $26

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Siargao

$14 1.8% 43.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $263 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $20 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $202 per month, with Siargao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Siargao

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

150,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.08 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Siargao 14,090 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Siargao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $783 in Siargao, so Siargao is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $1,175 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $263 in Siargao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Siargao runs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $151 in Siargao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $783 in Siargao versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.