Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Vigan

For one person, living is cheaper in Vigan: $720 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Vigan
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Vigan Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Vigan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Vigan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $720 in Vigan.

Mexico City $1,674
Vigan $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $1,087 in Vigan.

Mexico City $2,606
Vigan $1,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $1,455 in Vigan.

Mexico City $3,537
Vigan $1,455

Living in Mexico City is roughly 132% more expensive than in Vigan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Vigan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$3.88 ₱247

172.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$16.73 ₱1,064

210.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$1.74 ₱111

516.67%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.7

$1.76 ₱112

115.91%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$0.58 ₱37.14

177.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$0.31 ₱19.45

290.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$1.00 ₱63.8

218.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$1.58 ₱100

244.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$1.57 ₱100

9.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$1.14 ₱72.4

160.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$1.00 ₱63.7

93.00%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$1.99 ₱127

39.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$4.84 ₱308

141.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$3.29 ₱209

188.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$7.53 ₱479

104.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$2.24 ₱142

38.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$1.58 ₱100

24.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$2.35 ₱150

-15.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$1.01 ₱64.4

131.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$1.70 ₱108

18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$1.70 ₱108

7.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$0.87 ₱55.1

77.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

$0.52 ₱32.97

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$2.93 ₱186

82.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$8.50 ₱540

90.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$0.94 ₱59.6

108.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

$2.04 ₱130

113.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

$0.24 ₱15.33

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

$12.42 ₱790

56.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

$0.80 ₱50.6

140.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

$0.20 ₱12.74

135.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$1.84 ₱117

194.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

$1.24 ₱79.0

19.35%

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

3.48%

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

$18.6K ₱1.2M

27.87%

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$137 ₱8,697

-54.68%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$17.37 ₱1,104

63.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$23.09 ₱1,468

47.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

$31.16 ₱1,981

87.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

$5.31 ₱337

361.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$5.20 ₱331

26.73%

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

$434 MX$8,081

$132 ₱8,371

229.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

$10.5K ₱670.0K

33.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

$28.61 ₱1,819

138.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

$19.14 ₱1,217

186.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

$70.6 ₱4,491

56.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,159

$54.1 ₱3,438

114.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$251 ₱16.0K

369.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$167 ₱10.6K

360.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$490 ₱31.1K

424.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$345 ₱21.9K

311.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

$2,582 ₱164.2K

38.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$1,091 ₱69.4K

89.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Vigan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Vigan

$167 23.3% 78.3% $603

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Vigan

$172 23.9% 46.9% $152

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Vigan

$69 9.6% 65.5% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Vigan

$78 10.8% 50.7% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Vigan

$177 24.6% 42.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Vigan

$42 5.8% 41.9% $30

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Vigan

$15 2.1% 39.3% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $251 in Vigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $17 in Vigan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $172 per month, with Vigan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇭 Vigan

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

07:42 7:42 AM

14 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

53,879

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Vigan 14,050 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Vigan

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 Vigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $720 in Vigan, so Vigan is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $1,080 in Vigan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $251 in Vigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Vigan runs roughly 36% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $132 in Vigan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $720 in Vigan versus $1,674 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Vigan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Vigan 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 Vigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.