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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $804 in Tacloban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $1,197 in Tacloban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $1,589 in Tacloban.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 109% more expensive than in Tacloban, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Tacloban is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$3.99 ₱246

196.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$16.26 ₱1,002

220.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$2.46 ₱151

341.87%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$2.45 ₱151

64.49%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$0.63 ₱38.83

171.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.38 ₱23.18

252.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$1.66 ₱103

104.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$2.30 ₱142

149.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.94 ₱120

-2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.19 ₱73.2

166.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$0.92 ₱56.8

122.83%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$2.03 ₱125

48.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$10.08 ₱621

25.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$4.30 ₱265

131.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$7.21 ₱445

121.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$3.42 ₱211

-4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.17 ₱72.1

76.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$2.42 ₱149

-13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$1.57 ₱96.5

59.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$2.40 ₱148

-14.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$1.94 ₱120

-3.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$1.19 ₱73.6

31.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.68 ₱41.68

104.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$1.90 ₱117

183.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$6.27 ₱387

186.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.15 ₱71.0

75.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$1.71 ₱106

178.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$0.26 ₱15.87

38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$12.06 ₱743

72.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$0.79 ₱48.71

160.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.21 ₱12.89

166.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$1.91 ₱117

204.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$1.05 ₱64.7

46.67%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$22.0K ₱1.4M

1.97%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$19.9K ₱1.2M

32.79%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$123 ₱7,601

-46.50%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$15.00 ₱924

106.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$28.80 ₱1,776

25.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$32.62 ₱2,011

76.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$4.38 ₱270

510.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$5.55 ₱342

28.47%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$136 ₱8,396

235.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$8,258 ₱509.1K

60.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$29.71 ₱1,831

155.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$19.99 ₱1,232

170.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$78.6 ₱4,845

48.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$59.3 ₱3,653

105.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$271 ₱16.7K

322.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$192 ₱11.8K

278.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$500 ₱30.8K

400.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$361 ₱22.2K

268.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$2,464 ₱151.9K

58.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$1,028 ₱63.4K

109.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$355 ₱21.9K

201.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

7.2

57.64%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $271 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 201% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Tacloban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $204 per month, with Tacloban 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 Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tacloban differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $804 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 201% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $271 in Tacloban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tacloban runs roughly 72% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $457 in Mexico City versus $136 in Tacloban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $804 in Tacloban versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tacloban but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tacloban 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 Tacloban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.