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: $3,098 in Philipsburg versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,842 in Philipsburg versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,587 in Philipsburg versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in Philipsburg is roughly 114% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philipsburg 132% above, Mexico City 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.89 ANG 26.57

$12.96 MX$223

14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 ANG 131

$52.3 MX$900

40.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 ANG 14.23

$9.69 MX$167

-17.75%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ANG 7.90

$3.75 MX$64.6

18.13%

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

$2.97 ANG 5.30

$1.56 MX$26.91

90.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 ANG 6.42

$1.16 MX$19.93

210.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 ANG 5.41

$3.24 MX$55.8

-6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 ANG 9.12

$4.90 MX$84.3

4.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 ANG 5.46

$1.70 MX$29.29

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ANG 5.68

$2.67 MX$45.90

19.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 ANG 5.33

$1.89 MX$32.49

58.20%

Eggs

$6.58 ANG 11.74

$2.52 MX$43.37

161.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.48 ANG 32.99

$10.02 MX$172

84.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.83 ANG 30.04

$8.53 MX$147

97.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 ANG 35.34

$11.94 MX$205

65.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 ANG 10.67

$2.97 MX$51.1

101.35%

Banana (1kg)

$5.92 ANG 10.56

$1.79 MX$30.88

230.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.35 ANG 16.68

$2.00 MX$34.40

367.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 ANG 11.47

$1.96 MX$33.74

228.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ANG 7.02

$2.16 MX$37.21

81.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 ANG 7.08

$2.27 MX$39.04

74.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.43 ANG 7.90

$1.40 MX$24.14

216.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 ANG 3.52

$1.11 MX$19.18

77.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 ANG 13.89

$4.20 MX$72.2

85.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 ANG 19.47

$16.54 MX$285

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 ANG 5.93

$1.68 MX$28.94

97.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ANG 5.11

$3.59 MX$61.8

-20.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ANG 2.62

$0.39 MX$6.65

276.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.94 ANG 26.67

$1.38 MX$23.77

982.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.85 ANG 8.66

$0.30 MX$5.19

1516.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ANG 2.56

$1.29 MX$22.13

11.63%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

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

$222 ANG 397

$39.86 MX$686

457.38%

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

$32.97 ANG 58.9

$27.83 MX$479

18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 ANG 123

$29.77 MX$512

132.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 ANG 113

$52.0 MX$894

21.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$12.75 ANG 22.76

$6.27 MX$108

103.35%

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

$371 ANG 662

$433 MX$7,443

-14.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K ANG 19.9K

$10.5K MX$181.3K

5.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 ANG 3,517

$994 MX$17.1K

98.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 ANG 3,347

$617 MX$10.6K

203.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,726 ANG 10.2K

$2,086 MX$35.9K

174.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,589 ANG 9,976

$1,256 MX$21.6K

345.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,104 ANG 1,970

$1,131 MX$19.5K

-2.44%

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: June 16, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,970 in Philipsburg and $994 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Philipsburg vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $540 vs $292 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 114% in total monthly costs ($3,098 vs $1,448 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 3% 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: $1,970 in Philipsburg versus $994 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $371 in Philipsburg 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 Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $74.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,448 in Mexico City versus $3,098 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 114% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.