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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $778 in Palawan versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,198 in Palawan versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,617 in Palawan versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in Palawan costs roughly 46% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palawan is 42% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 ₱212

$12.96 MX$223

-72.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.48 ₱1,173

$52.3 MX$900

-62.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.29 ₱198

$9.69 MX$167

-66.05%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ₱159

$3.75 MX$64.6

-29.87%

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

$0.81 ₱48.82

$1.56 MX$26.91

-48.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱21.83

$1.16 MX$19.93

-68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱75.7

$3.24 MX$55.8

-61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₱131

$4.90 MX$84.3

-55.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ₱114

$1.70 MX$29.29

11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₱72.5

$2.67 MX$45.90

-55.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱61.4

$1.89 MX$32.49

-46.03%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱121

$2.52 MX$43.37

-20.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 ₱487

$10.02 MX$172

-19.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 ₱250

$8.53 MX$147

-51.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 ₱476

$11.94 MX$205

-33.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 ₱173

$2.97 MX$51.1

-3.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₱91.2

$1.79 MX$30.88

-15.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 ₱160

$2.00 MX$34.40

33.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₱97.3

$1.96 MX$33.74

-17.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱133

$2.16 MX$37.21

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 ₱154

$2.27 MX$39.04

12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₱64.8

$1.40 MX$24.14

-22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₱46.09

$1.11 MX$19.18

-30.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 ₱172

$4.20 MX$72.2

-31.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 ₱403

$16.54 MX$285

-59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₱73.1

$1.68 MX$28.94

-27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱118

$3.59 MX$61.8

-45.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱16.96

$0.39 MX$6.65

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱50.5

$1.38 MX$23.77

-39.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.20

$0.30 MX$5.19

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 ₱126

$5.39 MX$92.7

-61.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₱68.1

$1.29 MX$22.13

-12.40%

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

$26.6K ₱1.6M

$18.9K MX$325.1K

41.03%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$23.8K MX$409.5K

-12.69%

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

$111 ₱6,691

$39.86 MX$686

178.73%

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

$32.52 ₱1,958

$27.83 MX$479

16.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.29 ₱1,643

$29.77 MX$512

-8.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.17 ₱2,058

$52.0 MX$894

-34.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.45 ₱268

$26.22 MX$451

-83.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ₱348

$6.27 MX$108

-7.81%

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

$152 ₱9,137

$433 MX$7,443

-64.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,295 ₱258.7K

$10.5K MX$181.3K

-59.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.52 ₱2,802

$57.0 MX$981

-18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.48 ₱1,595

$45.33 MX$780

-41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ₱4,594

$102 MX$1,753

-25.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 ₱3,190

$109 MX$1,867

-51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱15.8K

$994 MX$17.1K

-73.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₱10.8K

$617 MX$10.6K

-70.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₱35.2K

$2,086 MX$35.9K

-71.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₱23.4K

$1,256 MX$21.6K

-69.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,314 ₱139.3K

$3,936 MX$67.7K

-41.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$969 ₱58.4K

$2,089 MX$35.9K

-53.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.34

-41.18%

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

Last update for Palawan: June 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Palawan and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Palawan vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $292 per month, with Palawan 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

Palawan vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palawan and Mexico City differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($778 vs $1,448 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,168 in Palawan and $2,173 in Mexico City 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: $262 in Palawan versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $152 in Palawan versus $433 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palawan – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Palawan versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Palawan 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, Palawan and Mexico 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 Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.