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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $785 in Surigao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,209 in Surigao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,632 in Surigao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 87% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$227

$3.59 ₱220

266.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$17.60 ₱1,078

204.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$3.27 ₱200

185.32%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.45 ₱150

51.02%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.78 ₱48.03

105.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.37 ₱22.46

202.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.31 ₱79.9

139.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.18 ₱134

122.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.92 ₱118

-14.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.21 ₱73.9

123.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.99 ₱60.9

92.93%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.07 ₱127

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.88 ₱483

24.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$4.19 ₱256

101.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.88 ₱482

51.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.97 ₱182

-0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.55 ₱94.8

12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.63 ₱161

-22.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.57 ₱96.1

31.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$2.32 ₱142

-7.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.56 ₱156

-11.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.10 ₱67.5

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.71 ₱43.25

57.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.82 ₱173

49.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.94 ₱425

152.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.15 ₱70.2

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.95 ₱120

86.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.26 ₱15.80

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.77 ₱46.95

79.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.22 ₱13.41

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.19 ₱134

141.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.14 ₱69.8

19.30%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$26.7K ₱1.6M

-28.37%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

14.62%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$113 ₱6,898

-64.03%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$24.86 ₱1,522

10.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$39.24 ₱2,402

-22.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$33.64 ₱2,059

55.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$4.32 ₱264

512.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.96 ₱365

3.86%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$149 ₱9,105

185.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,316 ₱264.2K

148.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$46.26 ₱2,832

26.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$26.79 ₱1,640

66.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$75.6 ₱4,628

36.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$53.6 ₱3,282

102.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$261 ₱16.0K

288.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$176 ₱10.8K

254.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$595 ₱36.4K

256.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$398 ₱24.4K

207.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,081 ₱127.4K

82.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$891 ₱54.5K

136.88%

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 Surigao: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $261 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 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 ($1,472 vs $785 including rent). Surigao 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 $1,178 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $261 in Surigao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

At $785 in Surigao versus $1,472 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.