Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $429 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Tagum City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Tagum City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $429 in Tagum City.

Mexico City $1,608
Tagum City $429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $532 in Tagum City.

Mexico City $2,549
Tagum City $532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $635 in Tagum City.

Mexico City $3,490
Tagum City $635

Living in Mexico City is roughly 275% more expensive than in Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Tagum City is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$5.56 ₱356

91.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$12.74 ₱816

279.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$5.00 ₱320

107.00%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$2.21 ₱141

66.97%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.90 ₱122

67.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$1.37 ₱88.0

287.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.65 ₱106

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.85 ₱118

56.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$7.63 ₱488

98.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$6.22 ₱398

-50.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$1.36 ₱87.3

45.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$0.22 ₱14.01

40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$1.31 ₱83.8

15.27%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$54.2 ₱3,467

16.26%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$7.88 ₱504

247.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$27.21 ₱1,742

31.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$23.49 ₱1,503

150.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$3.25 ₱208

96.92%

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

$432 MX$8,041

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$158 ₱10.1K

603.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$126 ₱8,033

466.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$317 ₱20.3K

717.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

$203 ₱13.0K

366.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Tagum City

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Tagum City

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Tagum City

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Tagum City

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Tagum City

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Tagum City

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Tagum City

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $158 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $13 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $85 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

17:54 5:54 PM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

296,202

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.41 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Tagum City 14,260 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Tagum City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $429 in Tagum City, so Tagum City is about 73% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 4.7 times higher, 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $158 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagum City – a meal for two runs $13 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $429 in Tagum City – Tagum City is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $429 in Tagum City versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 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.

It comes down to priorities – Tagum City wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.