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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,160 in Philipsburg versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,809 in Philipsburg versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,458 in Philipsburg versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Philipsburg is roughly 115% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philipsburg 137% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.11 ANG 26.98

$13.14 MX$227

14.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 ANG 136

$53.5 MX$926

42.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 ANG 14.68

$9.33 MX$161

-11.90%

Cappuccino

$4.25 ANG 7.58

$3.70 MX$64.0

14.86%

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

$2.93 ANG 5.22

$1.60 MX$27.76

83.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ANG 6.64

$1.12 MX$19.34

232.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ANG 5.30

$3.14 MX$54.3

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 ANG 8.88

$4.85 MX$83.9

2.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 ANG 5.23

$1.65 MX$28.61

77.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ANG 5.69

$2.71 MX$46.96

17.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 ANG 5.26

$1.91 MX$33.03

53.93%

Eggs

$6.33 ANG 11.31

$2.59 MX$44.81

144.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.26 ANG 32.59

$9.81 MX$170

86.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 ANG 29.98

$8.43 MX$146

99.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 ANG 34.62

$11.93 MX$206

62.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 ANG 10.54

$2.95 MX$51.1

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$6.12 ANG 10.92

$1.74 MX$30.10

251.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.09 ANG 16.22

$2.04 MX$35.38

345.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.45 ANG 11.52

$2.06 MX$35.64

213.11%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 ANG 7.28

$2.15 MX$37.20

89.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 ANG 7.00

$2.26 MX$39.02

73.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.46 ANG 7.97

$1.39 MX$23.97

220.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ANG 3.49

$1.12 MX$19.31

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 ANG 14.61

$4.22 MX$73.0

93.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ANG 19.37

$17.51 MX$303

-38.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 ANG 6.00

$1.71 MX$29.58

96.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ANG 5.01

$3.63 MX$62.8

-22.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 ANG 2.71

$0.35 MX$6.10

334.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.15 ANG 27.04

$1.38 MX$23.80

997.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.86 ANG 8.67

$0.28 MX$4.77

1635.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ANG 2.53

$1.36 MX$23.50

4.41%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

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

$229 ANG 410

$40.53 MX$701

466.20%

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

$32.15 ANG 57.4

$27.38 MX$474

17.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 ANG 127

$30.38 MX$526

134.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ANG 110

$52.2 MX$903

17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 ANG 23.63

$6.19 MX$107

113.89%

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

$380 ANG 679

$425 MX$7,355

-10.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K ANG 19.9K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

4.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 ANG 3,447

$1,014 MX$17.5K

90.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,876 ANG 3,348

$623 MX$10.8K

201.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,653 ANG 10.1K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

166.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,752 ANG 10.3K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

370.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 ANG 1,991

$1,052 MX$18.2K

6.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.34

-49.29%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,931 in Philipsburg and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 6% 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: $76.0 in Philipsburg vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $536 vs $293 per month, with Mexico City 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

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

Philipsburg and Mexico City differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($3,160 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Philipsburg, 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: $1,931 in Philipsburg versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $380 in Philipsburg versus $425 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $76.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $3,160 in Philipsburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.