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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $754 in Tagum City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,162 in Tagum City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,571 in Tagum City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than Tagum City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tagum City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.56 ₱220

270.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$14.14 ₱872

281.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.75 ₱231

151.20%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.63 ₱101

117.79%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.76 ₱46.87

113.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.39 ₱24.06

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.36 ₱83.7

129.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.36 ₱84.1

240.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.90 ₱117

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.22 ₱75.5

122.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.95 ₱58.4

101.05%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.98 ₱122

28.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.18 ₱504

22.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.24 ₱261

90.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.89 ₱486

47.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.85 ₱176

4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.57 ₱97.1

15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.59 ₱160

-22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.60 ₱98.5

26.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.22 ₱137

-4.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.60 ₱160

-12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.07 ₱66.1

30.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.71 ₱43.60

59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.90 ₱179

47.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.19 ₱73.7

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.00 ₱123

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 ₱16.02

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.83 ₱51.0

66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.24 ₱14.88

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.08 ₱128

162.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.09 ₱67.1

19.27%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

-29.81%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

12.01%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$111 ₱6,847

-63.20%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$33.26 ₱2,051

-19.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$27.67 ₱1,706

8.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.83 ₱2,086

53.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.39 ₱271

511.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.00 ₱370

5.00%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$149 ₱9,201

192.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,361 ₱268.9K

138.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$46.04 ₱2,839

23.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.94 ₱1,661

64.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$74.4 ₱4,585

38.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$53.2 ₱3,278

98.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$271 ₱16.7K

277.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$179 ₱11.0K

253.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$597 ₱36.8K

257.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$398 ₱24.5K

212.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$206 ₱12.7K

440.08%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $271 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 440% 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 $14.00 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $189 per month, with Tagum 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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tagum City differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $754 including rent). Tagum City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 440% 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 $271 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $149 in Tagum City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagum City – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $754 in Tagum City versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagum City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tagum 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 Tagum 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 Tagum City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.