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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $697 in Vigan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,100 in Vigan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,504 in Vigan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 111% more expensive than in Vigan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Vigan is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$3.60 ₱220

265.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$13.12 ₱803

308.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$1.82 ₱111

412.64%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.81 ₱111

104.42%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.69 ₱42.29

131.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.38 ₱23.25

194.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.20 ₱73.6

161.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.74 ₱106

178.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.84 ₱113

-10.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.19 ₱73.1

127.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$0.76 ₱46.47

151.32%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.19 ₱134

18.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$8.99 ₱551

9.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.87 ₱237

117.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$7.27 ₱445

64.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.63 ₱161

12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.61 ₱98.6

8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.30 ₱141

-11.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.16 ₱70.7

77.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.64 ₱101

31.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.15 ₱131

5.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.72 ₱43.78

93.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.76 ₱46.75

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.27 ₱139

85.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.83 ₱541

98.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.08 ₱66.2

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.73 ₱106

109.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.28 ₱17.32

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.68 ₱41.88

102.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.17 ₱10.33

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.45 ₱150

115.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.11 ₱68.1

22.52%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$14.0K ₱858.2K

36.26%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$16.2K ₱990.4K

45.91%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$53.6 ₱3,280

-24.36%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$34.00 ₱2,081

-19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$26.25 ₱1,607

15.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$34.16 ₱2,091

52.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$4.51 ₱276

487.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.87 ₱359

5.45%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$36.00 ₱2,203

1080.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,816 ₱294.8K

122.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$47.88 ₱2,931

21.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$27.04 ₱1,655

64.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$61.4 ₱3,758

68.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$46.45 ₱2,843

134.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$262 ₱16.0K

287.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$175 ₱10.7K

254.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$594 ₱36.3K

256.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$398 ₱24.4K

207.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$2,167 ₱132.7K

74.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$904 ₱55.4K

133.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Vigan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $262 in Vigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $13.00 in Vigan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $196 per month, with Vigan 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 Vigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Vigan differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $697 including rent). Vigan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,045 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $262 in Vigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $36.00 in Vigan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vigan – 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 $697 in Vigan versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Vigan 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 Vigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.