Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $3,119 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,119

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Philipsburg and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Philipsburg and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,119 in Philipsburg versus $1,674 in Mexico City.

Philipsburg $3,119
Mexico City $1,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,130 in Philipsburg versus $2,606 in Mexico City.

Philipsburg $6,130
Mexico City $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,141 in Philipsburg versus $3,537 in Mexico City.

Philipsburg $9,141
Mexico City $3,537

Living in Philipsburg is roughly 86% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philipsburg 131% above, Mexico City 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 ANG 27.30

$10.59 MX$199

44.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 ANG 125

$52.0 MX$976

34.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 ANG 14.66

$10.73 MX$201

-23.67%

Cappuccino

$4.36 ANG 7.80

$3.80 MX$71.3

14.74%

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

$2.85 ANG 5.11

$1.61 MX$30.28

77.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ANG 7.18

$1.21 MX$22.76

231.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ANG 5.22

$3.18 MX$59.7

-8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 ANG 11.47

$5.44 MX$102

17.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 ANG 5.23

$1.72 MX$32.26

69.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ANG 4.65

$2.97 MX$55.7

-12.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ANG 4.43

$1.93 MX$36.17

27.98%

Eggs

$6.58 ANG 11.78

$2.77 MX$52.1

137.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.77 ANG 33.59

$11.67 MX$219

60.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.04 ANG 25.14

$9.48 MX$178

48.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 ANG 27.04

$15.37 MX$289

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ANG 9.38

$3.10 MX$58.3

69.03%

Banana (1kg)

$5.27 ANG 9.43

$1.96 MX$36.82

168.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.04 ANG 16.17

$1.98 MX$37.22

356.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.56 ANG 13.53

$2.34 MX$43.86

223.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ANG 6.95

$2.02 MX$38.00

92.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 ANG 7.14

$1.82 MX$34.26

119.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.94 ANG 8.85

$1.54 MX$29.00

220.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ANG 2.33

$1.31 MX$24.64

-0.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.09 ANG 14.47

$5.35 MX$100

51.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ANG 19.59

$16.19 MX$304

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.10 ANG 9.13

$1.96 MX$36.79

160.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ANG 3.97

$0.30 MX$5.72

640.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.46 ANG 2.62

$19.49 MX$366

-92.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.16 ANG 27.13

$1.92 MX$36.01

689.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$102

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.86

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

$21.4K MX$401.4K

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

$23.8K MX$446.1K

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

$152 ANG 272

$62.0 MX$1,164

145.38%

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

$32.07 ANG 57.4

$28.47 MX$535

12.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 ANG 118

$34.11 MX$641

93.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 ANG 112

$58.4 MX$1,097

7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 ANG 19.38

$6.59 MX$124

64.34%

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

$246 ANG 440

$434 MX$8,155

-43.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ANG 21.8K

$14.0K MX$263.6K

-13.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,284

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,029

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,082

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,178

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,120 ANG 3,795

$1,179 MX$22.1K

79.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 ANG 3,594

$771 MX$14.5K

160.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,575 ANG 11.8K

$2,570 MX$48.3K

155.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,612 ANG 11.8K

$1,420 MX$26.7K

365.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,137 ANG 2,036

$1,003 MX$18.8K

13.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-55.95%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Philipsburg

–

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Groceries & Markets

Philipsburg

–

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Eating Out

Philipsburg

–

Mexico City

$201 12%

Clothing & Footwear

Philipsburg

–

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philipsburg

–

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Philipsburg

–

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Getting Around

Philipsburg

–

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,120 in Philipsburg and $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 13% 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: $70 in Philipsburg vs $52 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $324 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

2 h behind Philipsburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.497 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ANG – Netherlands Antillean Guilder Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ƒ)

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.497 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to ANG in detail →

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Between locations

Philipsburg Mexico City 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Philipsburg
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,119 in Philipsburg and $1,674 in Mexico City, so Mexico City is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $2,120 in Philipsburg versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Philipsburg runs roughly 93% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $246 in Philipsburg versus $434 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,674 in Mexico City versus $3,119 in Philipsburg, a $3,000 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.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Philipsburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.