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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $631 in Tuguegarao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,012 in Tuguegarao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,393 in Tuguegarao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 133% more expensive than Tuguegarao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tuguegarao is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.74 ₱107

657.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$13.16 ₱811

309.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$2.60 ₱160

262.31%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.34 ₱144

51.71%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.51 ₱31.65

217.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.33 ₱20.47

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.38 ₱85.2

126.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.93 ₱119

139.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.82 ₱112

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.25 ₱77.1

117.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.81 ₱50.1

135.80%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.27 ₱140

11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.43 ₱397

55.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.77 ₱232

114.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.62 ₱531

34.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.74 ₱169

8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.79 ₱110

1.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.39 ₱147

-15.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.17 ₱72.0

73.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.81 ₱112

17.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.29 ₱141

-0.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.72 ₱44.68

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.71 ₱43.70

59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.18 ₱134

95.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.81 ₱543

76.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.07 ₱66.2

64.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.25 ₱138

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.26 ₱15.93

46.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.93 ₱57.3

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.24 ₱14.89

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.35 ₱145

131.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.14 ₱70.6

14.04%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$31.8K ₱2.0M

-41.32%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

13.64%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$35.99 ₱2,219

13.53%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$17.56 ₱1,083

52.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$26.12 ₱1,611

14.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$33.28 ₱2,052

56.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.46 ₱275

501.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.89 ₱363

6.96%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$150 ₱9,263

190.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,809 ₱296.5K

116.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$49.65 ₱3,062

14.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$27.18 ₱1,676

63.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$45.03 ₱2,777

128.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$27.05 ₱1,668

290.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$261 ₱16.1K

291.62%

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

$578 ₱35.7K

269.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$399 ₱24.6K

211.81%

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

$212 ₱13.1K

426.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.5

152.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tuguegarao: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $261 in Tuguegarao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 427% 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 $13.00 in Tuguegarao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $196 per month, with Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tuguegarao differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $631 including rent). Tuguegarao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 427% 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 $261 in Tuguegarao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $150 in Tuguegarao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tuguegarao – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $631 in Tuguegarao versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tuguegarao but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.