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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $792 in Surigao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,221 in Surigao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,650 in Surigao.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.57 ₱220

263.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$17.55 ₱1,082

202.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.22 ₱199

201.86%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.40 ₱148

56.25%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.79 ₱48.56

98.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.37 ₱22.58

205.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.30 ₱79.9

144.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.17 ₱134

114.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.83 ₱113

-11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.26 ₱77.9

115.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.02 ₱62.7

84.31%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.06 ₱127

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.25 ₱509

22.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.17 ₱257

98.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.90 ₱487

51.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.95 ₱182

-3.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.54 ₱94.7

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.66 ₱164

-21.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.55 ₱95.3

27.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$2.25 ₱139

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.63 ₱162

-17.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.12 ₱69.0

24.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.77 ₱47.39

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.81 ₱173

49.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.11 ₱500

75.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.20 ₱74.0

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.04 ₱126

80.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.28 ₱17.35

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.81 ₱50.2

71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.22 ₱13.51

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.14 ₱132

153.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.09 ₱67.3

23.85%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$26.7K ₱1.6M

-29.35%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

15.53%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$114 ₱7,045

-64.26%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$24.41 ₱1,506

12.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$39.69 ₱2,448

-23.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$34.14 ₱2,106

56.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$4.41 ₱272

496.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.89 ₱363

6.45%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$149 ₱9,178

193.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,233 ₱261.1K

147.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$46.53 ₱2,870

21.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$26.78 ₱1,652

67.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$76.3 ₱4,706

34.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$53.0 ₱3,269

103.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$262 ₱16.2K

281.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$179 ₱11.1K

246.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$577 ₱35.6K

270.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$392 ₱24.2K

215.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$2,292 ₱141.3K

68.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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 Surigao: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $207 per month, with Surigao 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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Surigao differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $792 including rent). Surigao 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 $1,187 in Surigao 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 Surigao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $149 in Surigao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surigao – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $792 in Surigao versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surigao but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surigao 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 Surigao 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 Surigao 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.