Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
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Tarlac City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Tarlac 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 Tarlac City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $523 in Tarlac City.

Mexico City $1,608
Tarlac City $523

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $801 in Tarlac City.

Mexico City $2,549
Tarlac City $801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,080 in Tarlac City.

Mexico City $3,490
Tarlac City $1,080

Living in Mexico City is roughly 208% more expensive than in Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Tarlac City is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$1.99 ₱127

433.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$7.94 ₱506

508.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$2.67 ₱170

287.64%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$1.82 ₱116

102.75%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$0.48 ₱30.72

247.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$0.30 ₱19.15

323.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$0.95 ₱60.6

235.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$1.58 ₱100

236.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.65 ₱105

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$1.13 ₱72.0

169.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.01 ₱64.1

92.08%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.92 ₱123

50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$4.95 ₱315

121.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$2.68 ₱171

245.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$6.35 ₱405

138.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$1.57 ₱100

94.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.51 ₱96.4

28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$2.01 ₱128

1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.02 ₱64.9

126.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.71 ₱109

19.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.19 ₱75.5

51.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$0.66 ₱41.80

124.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.52 ₱33.32

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$2.97 ₱189

78.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$3.72 ₱237

332.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$0.89 ₱56.9

122.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$1.52 ₱97.1

179.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.24 ₱15.31

29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$8.05 ₱513

145.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$0.75 ₱47.49

145.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.22 ₱13.93

140.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$1.30 ₱82.7

307.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.11 ₱71.0

36.04%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

2.46%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

26.20%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$87.4 ₱5,565

-27.92%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$5.34 ₱340

412.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$23.23 ₱1,480

53.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$39.36 ₱2,507

49.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$15.91 ₱1,014

48.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$5.11 ₱326

25.24%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$130 ₱8,272

232.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$10.5K ₱669.1K

8.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$28.72 ₱1,829

137.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$18.79 ₱1,197

182.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$62.0 ₱3,947

73.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$47.50 ₱3,025

146.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$87.2 ₱5,555

1176.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$70.5 ₱4,492

907.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$248 ₱15.8K

943.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$163 ₱10.4K

761.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$370 ₱23.5K

882.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$284 ₱18.1K

652.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$208 ₱13.3K

354.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

6.75

68.15%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 90.1% $640

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Tarlac City

$148 28.4% 53.6% $171

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Tarlac City

$57 10.9% 71.4% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 54.7% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Tarlac City

$116 22.2% 8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Tarlac City

$50 9.5% 30.9% $22

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Tarlac City

$11 2.1% 57.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $87 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $8 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $148 per month, with Tarlac City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

10:41 10:41 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

385,398

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Tarlac City 14,190 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Tarlac 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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $523 in Tarlac City, so Tarlac City is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Mexico City is about 4.5 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 $87 in Tarlac City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tarlac City runs roughly 59% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $130 in Tarlac City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $523 in Tarlac City versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Tarlac City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tarlac 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.

Expats usually find Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.