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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $787 in Siargao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,212 in Siargao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,637 in Siargao.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Siargao is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.49 ₱214

276.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$19.60 ₱1,200

173.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.32 ₱203

181.02%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.65 ₱162

39.62%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.82 ₱50.2

95.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.37 ₱22.40

202.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.29 ₱79.3

143.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.15 ₱132

125.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.92 ₱117

-14.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.26 ₱77.1

115.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.01 ₱62.0

89.11%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.06 ₱126

25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.18 ₱501

19.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.13 ₱253

104.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.93 ₱486

50.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.87 ₱176

2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.56 ₱95.3

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.58 ₱158

-20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.55 ₱94.7

32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.20 ₱134

-2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.54 ₱156

-11.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.11 ₱68.0

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.77 ₱47.40

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.88 ₱176

46.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.82 ₱418

156.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.19 ₱73.0

43.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.96 ₱120

85.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.26 ₱15.76

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.84 ₱51.3

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.22 ₱13.45

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.10 ₱129

151.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.10 ₱67.2

23.64%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

-27.89%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$20.3K ₱1.2M

16.57%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$115 ₱7,010

-64.61%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$33.42 ₱2,046

-18.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$27.94 ₱1,710

8.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$34.02 ₱2,082

53.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$4.56 ₱279

480.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.04 ₱370

2.48%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$150 ₱9,167

183.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,291 ₱262.7K

150.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$45.86 ₱2,807

27.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$26.08 ₱1,597

70.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$74.2 ₱4,542

39.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$52.1 ₱3,190

108.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$262 ₱16.1K

286.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$177 ₱10.8K

252.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$595 ₱36.4K

256.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$390 ₱23.9K

213.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,351 ₱143.9K

61.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$936 ₱57.3K

125.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Siargao: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $262 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $204 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 ($1,472 vs $787 including rent). Siargao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,181 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $262 in Siargao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $150 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 $20.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $787 in Siargao versus $1,472 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.