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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $621 in Tarlac City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $954 in Tarlac City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,286 in Tarlac City.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 136% more expensive than Tarlac City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tarlac City is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.70 ₱166

388.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$14.96 ₱922

260.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.51 ₱216

168.38%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.57 ₱96.7

126.11%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.87 ₱53.4

86.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.26 ₱15.95

326.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.99 ₱60.8

215.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.72 ₱106

169.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.66 ₱103

2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.54 ₱95.3

76.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.98 ₱60.7

94.90%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.02 ₱124

25.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.07 ₱560

10.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.21 ₱198

152.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$5.91 ₱365

96.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.89 ₱178

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.62 ₱99.6

11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.15 ₱132

-6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.52 ₱94.0

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.45 ₱89.2

46.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.18 ₱72.9

92.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.92 ₱56.9

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.90 ₱55.4

25.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.78 ₱171

53.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$3.76 ₱232

313.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.83 ₱50.9

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.56 ₱96.5

130.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.28 ₱17.30

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$7.93 ₱489

141.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.84 ₱51.7

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.22 ₱13.50

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.11 ₱130

158.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.15 ₱71.0

13.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$28.6K ₱1.8M

-34.70%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

17.40%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$101 ₱6,199

-59.36%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$15.85 ₱977

69.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$26.78 ₱1,651

11.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$44.51 ₱2,745

16.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$17.48 ₱1,078

53.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.27 ₱387

0.48%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$170 ₱10.5K

156.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$14.0K ₱866.1K

-25.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$46.32 ₱2,856

22.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.53 ₱1,636

67.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$50.4 ₱3,109

104.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$37.32 ₱2,301

182.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$131 ₱8,057

682.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$103 ₱6,333

514.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$268 ₱16.5K

696.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$176 ₱10.9K

605.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$372 ₱23.0K

948.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$294 ₱18.1K

603.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$212 ₱13.1K

425.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.17

83.79%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $131 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 426% 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 $15.00 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $181 per month, with Tarlac 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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tarlac City differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $621 including rent). Tarlac City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 426% 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 $131 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 142% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $170 in Tarlac City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $621 in Tarlac City versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Tarlac 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 Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.