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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $745 in Zamboanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,076 in Zamboanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,408 in Zamboanga.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 97% more expensive than Zamboanga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Zamboanga is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.55 ₱95.5

750.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$9.47 ₱584

469.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$2.73 ₱168

245.05%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.81 ₱111

96.13%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.91 ₱56.0

78.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.42 ₱25.84

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.22 ₱75.5

155.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.64 ₱101

182.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.94 ₱120

-12.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.65 ₱101

64.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.28 ₱79.2

49.22%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.66 ₱102

53.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$11.23 ₱692

-10.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.51 ₱278

79.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$3.57 ₱220

225.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.37 ₱208

-11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.32 ₱81.2

37.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$4.22 ₱260

-52.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.68 ₱166

-24.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.38 ₱85.0

53.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.76 ₱170

-17.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.90 ₱55.3

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.57 ₱34.90

98.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.99 ₱185

42.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$4.38 ₱270

255.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.47 ₱90.4

19.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.18 ₱134

65.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.24 ₱14.85

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.93 ₱57.5

48.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.22 ₱13.56

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

$1.22 ₱75.0

6.56%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$26.9K ₱1.7M

-30.49%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

11.79%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$167 ₱10.3K

-75.50%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$48.00 ₱2,960

-44.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$52.8 ₱3,254

-43.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$39.54 ₱2,438

31.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$4.31 ₱266

522.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.95 ₱429

-9.35%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$53.2 ₱3,283

719.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$1,223 ₱75.4K

751.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$24.61 ₱1,517

130.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.58 ₱1,639

66.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$88.5 ₱5,458

16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$61.8 ₱3,808

70.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$140 ₱8,603

632.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$71.1 ₱4,384

787.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$370 ₱22.8K

476.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$143 ₱8,818

769.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,275 ₱140.3K

71.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,099 ₱67.7K

87.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$193 ₱11.9K

476.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-5.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $140 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 476% 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 $9.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $210 per month, with Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Zamboanga differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $745 including rent). Zamboanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 476% 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 $140 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $53.2 in Zamboanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zamboanga – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $745 in Zamboanga versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.