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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $774 in Siargao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,210 in Siargao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,646 in Siargao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than Siargao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Siargao is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$3.63 ₱221

257.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$19.23 ₱1,168

173.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$3.27 ₱199

188.38%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.53 ₱154

41.11%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.82 ₱49.87

96.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.40 ₱24.16

187.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.25 ₱75.9

152.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.15 ₱131

126.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.90 ₱116

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.21 ₱73.5

118.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.02 ₱61.7

86.27%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.07 ₱125

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.95 ₱482

26.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.33 ₱263

91.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.81 ₱474

48.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.98 ₱181

1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.50 ₱91.3

14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.63 ₱160

-22.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.55 ₱93.9

32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.32 ₱141

-11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.53 ₱154

-14.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.06 ₱64.7

32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.72 ₱43.48

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.90 ₱176

47.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$6.76 ₱410

127.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.17 ₱70.9

42.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.02 ₱123

82.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.28 ₱17.03

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.83 ₱50.6

66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.24 ₱14.64

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$2.16 ₱131

150.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.09 ₱66.2

17.43%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

-29.29%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$20.5K ₱1.2M

14.61%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$111 ₱6,727

-62.97%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$33.34 ₱2,024

-19.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$27.38 ₱1,663

8.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$33.81 ₱2,053

54.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$4.39 ₱267

497.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$6.05 ₱367

2.15%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$149 ₱9,059

186.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,241 ₱257.5K

152.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$46.07 ₱2,797

23.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$27.11 ₱1,646

65.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$76.6 ₱4,651

36.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$53.3 ₱3,234

98.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$262 ₱15.9K

280.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$179 ₱10.9K

247.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$599 ₱36.4K

255.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$389 ₱23.6K

222.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,329 ₱141.4K

67.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$948 ₱57.5K

121.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Siargao: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $262 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $203 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 87% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $774 including rent). Siargao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,162 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $262 in Siargao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $149 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 $774 in Siargao versus $1,447 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 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.