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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $906 in Quezon City versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,375 in Quezon City versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,844 in Quezon City versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Quezon City costs roughly 38% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quezon City is 32% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 ₱302

$13.18 MX$228

-62.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.49 ₱1,325

$53.9 MX$932

-60.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.12 ₱192

$9.42 MX$163

-66.88%

Cappuccino

$2.85 ₱176

$3.55 MX$61.4

-19.72%

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

$0.92 ₱56.8

$1.62 MX$27.98

-43.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.27

$1.11 MX$19.27

-65.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱75.3

$3.12 MX$54.0

-60.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₱167

$4.63 MX$80.1

-41.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₱133

$1.70 MX$29.43

27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₱74.1

$2.72 MX$47.02

-55.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ₱66.4

$1.91 MX$33.07

-43.46%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱125

$2.54 MX$43.86

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 ₱438

$10.03 MX$174

-29.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₱261

$8.09 MX$140

-47.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 ₱456

$11.62 MX$201

-36.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 ₱269

$2.97 MX$51.3

46.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱98.6

$1.81 MX$31.24

-11.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 ₱184

$2.01 MX$34.82

48.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱101

$2.03 MX$35.20

-19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 ₱178

$2.12 MX$36.75

36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 ₱256

$2.27 MX$39.25

83.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 ₱97.0

$1.40 MX$24.22

12.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱64.5

$1.13 MX$19.55

-7.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱193

$4.27 MX$73.9

-26.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 ₱444

$15.56 MX$269

-53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱95.4

$1.76 MX$30.39

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱125

$3.60 MX$62.2

-43.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱28.17

$0.38 MX$6.62

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱51.6

$1.38 MX$23.79

-39.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.24

$0.28 MX$4.78

-10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₱133

$5.45 MX$94.2

-60.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.1

$1.30 MX$22.55

-16.15%

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

$25.3K ₱1.6M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

35.14%

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

$20.2K ₱1.2M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-12.52%

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

$161 ₱9,945

$40.86 MX$707

294.71%

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

$33.64 ₱2,074

$26.81 MX$464

25.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.00 ₱1,850

$29.96 MX$518

0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.35 ₱1,501

$52.0 MX$900

-53.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 ₱391

$26.84 MX$464

-76.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱445

$6.30 MX$109

14.60%

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

$79.8 ₱4,920

$436 MX$7,544

-81.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,821 ₱173.9K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-72.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.80 ₱1,961

$56.7 MX$980

-43.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ₱1,795

$44.38 MX$768

-34.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 ₱6,085

$103 MX$1,780

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₱5,894

$106 MX$1,825

-9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₱16.9K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-73.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ₱12.2K

$631 MX$10.9K

-68.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ₱45.5K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-65.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 ₱26.5K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-65.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ₱145.7K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-39.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,479 ₱91.2K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-28.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 ₱26.9K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-60.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

11.34

-28.31%

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

Last update for Quezon City: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Quezon City and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 156% 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: $21.00 in Quezon City vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $288 per month, with Quezon 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

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

Quezon City and Mexico City differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($906 vs $1,467 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 156% 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: $274 in Quezon City versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $79.8 in Quezon City 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 Quezon City – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $906 in Quezon City versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Quezon 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.

Safety-wise, Quezon City 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 Quezon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.