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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $729 in Tagbilaran City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,178 in Tagbilaran City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,628 in Tagbilaran City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 101% more expensive than Tagbilaran City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tagbilaran City is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.37 ₱270

201.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$21.37 ₱1,318

152.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.31 ₱204

184.59%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.52 ₱155

40.87%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.85 ₱52.4

90.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.43 ₱26.33

158.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.17 ₱72.4

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.09 ₱129

121.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.72 ₱106

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.09 ₱67.5

149.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.88 ₱54.2

117.05%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.02 ₱124

25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$10.49 ₱647

-4.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.47 ₱276

80.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.64 ₱471

52.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.56 ₱220

-16.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.29 ₱79.8

40.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.25 ₱201

-38.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.83 ₱113

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.21 ₱136

-4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.41 ₱148

-5.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.99 ₱60.9

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.67 ₱41.55

68.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.67 ₱165

59.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$6.25 ₱385

148.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.93 ₱57.6

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.17 ₱71.9

207.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.28 ₱17.42

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.89 ₱54.8

55.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.25 ₱15.46

12.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.62 ₱162

108.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.14 ₱70.5

14.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$27.8K ₱1.7M

-32.72%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$21.8K ₱1.3M

6.13%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$76.1 ₱4,692

-46.31%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$26.65 ₱1,643

0.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$29.62 ₱1,827

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.71 ₱2,079

54.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.45 ₱274

503.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.10 ₱253

53.66%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$227 ₱14.0K

92.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$3,822 ₱235.7K

172.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$45.56 ₱2,809

24.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$20.23 ₱1,247

119.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$71.4 ₱4,400

44.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$55.4 ₱3,417

90.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$213 ₱13.2K

378.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$155 ₱9,555

307.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$535 ₱33.0K

299.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$381 ₱23.5K

226.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,438 ₱150.3K

60.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$985 ₱60.8K

109.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$179 ₱11.0K

523.49%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tagbilaran City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $213 in Tagbilaran City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 523% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Tagbilaran City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $207 per month, with Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tagbilaran City differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $729 including rent). Tagbilaran City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 523% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $213 in Tagbilaran City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $227 in Tagbilaran City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagbilaran City – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $729 in Tagbilaran City versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagbilaran City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran City 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 Tagbilaran City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.