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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $663 in Pampanga versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,114 in Pampanga versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,566 in Pampanga versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Pampanga costs roughly 55% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pampanga is 50% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 ₱193

$12.98 MX$226

-75.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.78 ₱1,088

$53.1 MX$923

-66.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 ₱192

$9.72 MX$169

-67.70%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ₱166

$3.75 MX$65.2

-27.73%

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

$0.43 ₱26.09

$1.57 MX$27.30

-72.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.44

$1.13 MX$19.64

-66.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ₱73.0

$3.18 MX$55.3

-62.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱143

$4.66 MX$81.1

-49.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ₱88.2

$1.62 MX$28.21

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱69.6

$2.71 MX$47.09

-57.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₱51.9

$1.88 MX$32.70

-54.79%

Eggs

$1.45 ₱88.7

$2.51 MX$43.65

-42.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 ₱266

$10.08 MX$175

-56.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 ₱180

$8.29 MX$144

-64.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.10 ₱434

$11.94 MX$208

-40.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₱132

$2.86 MX$49.77

-24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ₱66.6

$1.75 MX$30.45

-37.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ₱142

$2.08 MX$36.27

11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱56.5

$1.97 MX$34.27

-53.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱104

$2.16 MX$37.58

-21.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 ₱109

$2.18 MX$37.94

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₱58.7

$1.39 MX$24.20

-30.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₱37.25

$1.12 MX$19.57

-45.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 ₱134

$4.20 MX$73.1

-48.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱382

$14.25 MX$248

-56.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₱48.00

$1.76 MX$30.68

-55.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₱85.3

$3.68 MX$64.1

-62.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₱17.78

$0.39 MX$6.71

-25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.52 ₱705

$18.66 MX$325

-38.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱46.81

$1.39 MX$24.12

-44.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ₱17.86

$0.30 MX$5.29

-3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 ₱127

$5.42 MX$94.3

-61.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₱70.9

$1.35 MX$23.50

-14.07%

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

$17.8K ₱1.1M

$18.9K MX$328.6K

-6.00%

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

$17.9K ₱1.1M

$23.2K MX$402.8K

-22.87%

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

$129 ₱7,916

$40.82 MX$710

216.95%

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

$26.24 ₱1,605

$27.50 MX$479

-4.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.33 ₱1,611

$30.38 MX$529

-13.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ₱3,095

$53.4 MX$930

-5.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 ₱267

$26.30 MX$458

-83.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 ₱266

$6.27 MX$109

-30.78%

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

$126 ₱7,737

$436 MX$7,588

-71.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,792 ₱109.6K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-82.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.11 ₱1,781

$56.8 MX$988

-48.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 ₱1,599

$44.79 MX$779

-41.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 ₱3,695

$103 MX$1,789

-41.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.61 ₱2,607

$108 MX$1,878

-60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$153 ₱9,331

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-84.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.8 ₱5,862

$620 MX$10.8K

-84.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 ₱36.4K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-72.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₱25.3K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-66.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 ₱146.0K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-38.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,321 ₱80.8K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-43.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$299 ₱18.3K

$1,067 MX$18.6K

-71.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

11.34

-45.59%

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

Last update for Pampanga: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $153 in Pampanga and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 256% 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: $18.00 in Pampanga vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $286 per month, with Pampanga 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

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

Pampanga and Mexico City differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($663 vs $1,484 including rent). Pampanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 256% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $153 in Pampanga versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pampanga runs roughly 62% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $126 in Pampanga versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $663 in Pampanga versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pampanga but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Pampanga 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 Pampanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.