Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Surigao

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $733 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
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Surigao Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Surigao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $733 in Surigao.

Mexico City $1,674
Surigao $733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,113 in Surigao.

Mexico City $2,606
Surigao $1,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $1,492 in Surigao.

Mexico City $3,537
Surigao $1,492

Living in Mexico City is roughly 128% more expensive than in Surigao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Surigao is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$199

$3.95 ₱251

168.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$978

$16.72 ₱1,062

210.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$202

$2.82 ₱179

280.50%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.4

$2.13 ₱135

78.40%

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

$1.61 MX$30.35

$0.67 ₱42.83

140.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.81

$0.31 ₱19.60

290.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.8

$1.16 ₱73.5

174.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$2.01 ₱128

170.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.32

$1.60 ₱102

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.8

$1.14 ₱72.4

160.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.24

$0.97 ₱61.3

98.97%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$52.2

$1.85 ₱118

49.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$220

$5.62 ₱357

107.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$178

$4.15 ₱264

128.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$289

$6.87 ₱436

123.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.4

$2.42 ₱154

28.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.90

$1.58 ₱100

24.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.30

$2.32 ₱147

-14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.95

$1.13 ₱71.7

107.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.08

$2.12 ₱135

-4.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.34

$2.26 ₱143

-19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$29.06

$1.09 ₱69.4

41.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.70

$0.57 ₱36.48

129.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$101

$2.95 ₱187

81.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$305

$7.34 ₱466

120.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.87

$0.91 ₱57.6

115.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.9

$1.92 ₱122

126.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.74

$0.22 ₱13.94

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$367

$12.28 ₱780

58.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$36.08

$0.76 ₱48.05

152.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.90

$0.22 ₱13.99

113.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

$1.90 ₱120

184.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.92

$1.22 ₱77.6

21.31%

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

$21.4K MX$402.2K

$21.3K ₱1.4M

0.45%

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

$23.8K MX$447.1K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

23.36%

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

$62.0 MX$1,167

$120 ₱7,606

-48.26%

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

$28.47 MX$536

$15.80 ₱1,003

80.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$642

$34.90 ₱2,216

-2.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,099

$31.82 ₱2,020

83.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$461

$5.07 ₱322

383.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$124

$5.06 ₱321

30.24%

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

$434 MX$8,172

$128 ₱8,117

239.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$264.1K

$7,715 ₱489.8K

81.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,286

$32.90 ₱2,089

107.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,031

$19.32 ₱1,227

183.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,086

$71.4 ₱4,535

55.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,183

$53.7 ₱3,409

116.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.2K

$250 ₱15.9K

371.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.5K

$168 ₱10.7K

359.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.4K

$485 ₱30.8K

429.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.7K

$348 ₱22.1K

307.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.5K

$2,651 ₱168.3K

35.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

$1,124 ₱71.3K

83.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.92

64.02%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Surigao: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Surigao

$168 22.9% 78.2% $603

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Surigao

$179 24.4% 44.8% $145

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Surigao

$79 10.8% 60.4% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Surigao

$80 10.9% 49.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Surigao

$171 23.3% 36.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Surigao

$42 5.7% 41.4% $30

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Surigao

$15 2.1% 39.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $250 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $17 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $179 per month, with Surigao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Surigao

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

15:23 3:23 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

171,107

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.49 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.17 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Surigao 14,150 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Surigao

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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $733 in Surigao, so Surigao is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $1,100 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $250 in Surigao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surigao runs roughly 37% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $128 in Surigao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $733 in Surigao versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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.

Expats usually find Surigao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.