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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $772 in Surigao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,206 in Surigao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,640 in Surigao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 88% more expensive than Surigao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Surigao is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$3.63 ₱219

257.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$17.61 ₱1,060

197.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$3.24 ₱195

199.07%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$2.34 ₱141

60.26%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.82 ₱49.39

90.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.40 ₱23.87

190.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.34 ₱80.9

141.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.08 ₱125

135.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.88 ₱113

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.26 ₱76.0

111.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$0.93 ₱56.2

103.23%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$2.01 ₱121

25.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$7.91 ₱476

26.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$4.32 ₱260

97.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$7.91 ₱476

50.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$3.01 ₱181

-1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.55 ₱93.2

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.72 ₱164

-26.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.54 ₱92.7

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$2.22 ₱134

-2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$2.60 ₱157

-12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$1.12 ₱67.3

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.72 ₱43.16

54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$2.80 ₱169

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$9.10 ₱548

81.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.15 ₱69.5

46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$2.02 ₱122

77.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.26 ₱15.51

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.81 ₱48.85

70.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.24 ₱14.47

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$2.16 ₱130

149.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.14 ₱68.7

13.16%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$27.1K ₱1.6M

-30.24%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$20.1K ₱1.2M

18.43%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$114 ₱6,856

-64.99%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$24.78 ₱1,493

12.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$39.04 ₱2,351

-23.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$34.60 ₱2,084

50.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$4.51 ₱271

481.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$6.02 ₱363

4.15%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$151 ₱9,075

187.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$4,335 ₱261.1K

143.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$45.46 ₱2,738

25.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$26.51 ₱1,596

70.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$75.9 ₱4,572

34.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$53.0 ₱3,192

104.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$262 ₱15.8K

279.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$173 ₱10.4K

255.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$586 ₱35.3K

255.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$398 ₱24.0K

215.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$2,430 ₱146.4K

61.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$1,102 ₱66.4K

89.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

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 14, 2026

Last update for Surigao: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $262 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $208 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 88% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $772 including rent). Surigao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $1,158 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $262 in Surigao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $151 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Surigao versus $1,448 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.