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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $847 in Tacloban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,198 in Tacloban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,549 in Tacloban.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 71% more expensive than Tacloban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Tacloban is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$4.37 ₱266

197.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$17.61 ₱1,070

198.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$2.73 ₱166

245.42%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.61 ₱158

36.78%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.77 ₱46.74

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.41 ₱25.17

180.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.53 ₱92.8

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.09 ₱127

132.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$2.20 ₱134

-22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.56 ₱94.9

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.00 ₱60.9

90.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.25 ₱137

12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$12.93 ₱785

-22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.70 ₱286

76.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$7.78 ₱472

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$3.53 ₱214

-14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.20 ₱73.2

42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$3.43 ₱208

-40.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.76 ₱107

17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$2.55 ₱155

-19.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$2.52 ₱153

-13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.93 ₱56.2

50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.83 ₱50.3

34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.14 ₱130

100.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$6.45 ₱392

138.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.16 ₱70.5

43.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.27 ₱138

62.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.18 ₱10.84

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$0.81 ₱49.48

70.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$0.17 ₱10.54

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$2.68 ₱163

102.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.14 ₱69.5

12.28%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$29.7K ₱1.8M

-36.09%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$26.9K ₱1.6M

-12.70%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$97.8 ₱5,938

-58.05%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$34.65 ₱2,104

-22.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$30.21 ₱1,835

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$34.60 ₱2,101

51.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$4.46 ₱271

488.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.85 ₱355

5.64%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$228 ₱13.9K

87.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$3,891 ₱236.3K

174.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$45.51 ₱2,764

24.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$23.37 ₱1,419

91.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$76.3 ₱4,630

37.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$55.6 ₱3,373

90.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$247 ₱15.0K

302.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$216 ₱13.1K

187.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$803 ₱48.8K

164.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$234 ₱14.2K

436.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$2,401 ₱145.8K

62.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,018 ₱61.8K

105.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$361 ₱21.9K

206.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

41.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $247 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 207% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Tacloban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $233 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 71% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $847 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 207% more on average, 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $247 in Tacloban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $228 in Tacloban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tacloban – 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 $847 in Tacloban versus $1,447 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 71% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.