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: $777 in Palawan versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Palawan versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,655 in Palawan versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Palawan costs roughly 48% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palawan is 42% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ₱224

$12.98 MX$227

-71.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.42 ₱1,198

$53.1 MX$929

-63.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.27 ₱202

$9.72 MX$170

-66.36%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₱163

$3.75 MX$65.6

-29.60%

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

$0.82 ₱50.6

$1.57 MX$27.46

-47.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱24.55

$1.13 MX$19.76

-64.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱76.1

$3.18 MX$55.7

-61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱133

$4.66 MX$81.6

-53.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱119

$1.62 MX$28.37

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ₱75.3

$2.71 MX$47.36

-54.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱59.6

$1.88 MX$32.89

-48.40%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱127

$2.51 MX$43.90

-17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 ₱482

$10.08 MX$176

-22.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 ₱261

$8.29 MX$145

-48.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 ₱487

$11.94 MX$209

-33.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ₱184

$2.86 MX$50.1

4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱92.4

$1.75 MX$30.62

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 ₱168

$2.08 MX$36.48

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₱98.1

$1.97 MX$34.46

-19.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 ₱141

$2.16 MX$37.79

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 ₱154

$2.18 MX$38.16

14.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₱68.7

$1.39 MX$24.34

-20.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱46.56

$1.12 MX$19.69

-33.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱180

$4.20 MX$73.5

-30.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 ₱432

$14.25 MX$249

-50.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₱72.1

$1.76 MX$30.85

-33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱122

$3.68 MX$64.5

-45.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.42

$0.39 MX$6.74

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱48.48

$1.39 MX$24.26

-43.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱14.82

$0.30 MX$5.32

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₱132

$5.42 MX$94.9

-60.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱71.0

$1.35 MX$23.63

-14.81%

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

$26.8K ₱1.7M

$18.9K MX$330.5K

41.96%

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

$20.1K ₱1.2M

$23.2K MX$405.2K

-13.24%

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

$115 ₱7,066

$40.82 MX$714

180.67%

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

$33.00 ₱2,036

$27.50 MX$481

20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 ₱1,725

$30.38 MX$532

-7.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.00 ₱2,097

$53.4 MX$935

-36.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.38 ₱270

$26.30 MX$460

-83.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ₱365

$6.27 MX$110

-5.58%

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

$149 ₱9,178

$436 MX$7,632

-65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,320 ₱266.5K

$10.5K MX$183.2K

-58.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.87 ₱2,829

$56.8 MX$993

-19.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₱1,622

$44.79 MX$784

-41.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,723

$103 MX$1,799

-25.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.5 ₱3,299

$108 MX$1,888

-50.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.3K

$1,000 MX$17.5K

-73.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ₱11.1K

$620 MX$10.9K

-71.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₱36.3K

$2,137 MX$37.4K

-72.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱23.8K

$1,235 MX$21.6K

-68.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 ₱142.4K

$3,865 MX$67.6K

-40.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$823 ₱50.7K

$2,332 MX$40.8K

-64.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Palawan and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Palawan vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $286 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 91% in total monthly costs ($777 vs $1,484 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,166 in Palawan and $2,225 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: $265 in Palawan versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in Palawan versus $436 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Palawan versus $1,484 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 91% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.