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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $785 in Surigao versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,209 in Surigao versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,632 in Surigao versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Surigao costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surigao is 41% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 ₱221

$13.14 MX$229

-72.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.60 ₱1,081

$53.5 MX$934

-67.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.27 ₱201

$9.33 MX$163

-64.95%

Cappuccino

$2.45 ₱151

$3.70 MX$64.5

-33.78%

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

$0.78 ₱48.18

$1.60 MX$27.98

-51.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₱22.53

$1.12 MX$19.49

-66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ₱80.2

$3.14 MX$54.7

-58.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₱134

$4.85 MX$84.5

-55.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱118

$1.65 MX$28.84

16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ₱74.2

$2.71 MX$47.34

-55.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱61.1

$1.91 MX$33.29

-48.17%

Eggs

$2.07 ₱127

$2.59 MX$45.17

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 ₱484

$9.81 MX$171

-19.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 ₱257

$8.43 MX$147

-50.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 ₱484

$11.93 MX$208

-33.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₱182

$2.95 MX$51.5

0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ₱95.1

$1.74 MX$30.35

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 ₱161

$2.04 MX$35.66

28.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₱96.4

$2.06 MX$35.93

-23.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 ₱142

$2.15 MX$37.49

7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ₱157

$2.26 MX$39.33

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱67.8

$1.39 MX$24.17

-20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱43.39

$1.12 MX$19.47

-36.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱173

$4.22 MX$73.6

-33.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.94 ₱426

$17.51 MX$305

-60.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱70.4

$1.71 MX$29.82

-32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱120

$3.63 MX$63.4

-46.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.85

$0.35 MX$6.15

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$337

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱47.09

$1.38 MX$24.00

-44.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.46

$0.28 MX$4.81

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱135

$5.28 MX$92.0

-58.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱70.0

$1.36 MX$23.69

-16.18%

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

$26.7K ₱1.6M

$19.1K MX$333.2K

39.60%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$23.6K MX$411.7K

-12.75%

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

$113 ₱6,919

$40.53 MX$707

178.02%

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

$24.86 ₱1,526

$27.38 MX$478

-9.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.24 ₱2,409

$30.38 MX$530

29.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.64 ₱2,066

$52.2 MX$911

-35.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.32 ₱265

$26.48 MX$462

-83.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ₱366

$6.19 MX$108

-3.72%

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

$149 ₱9,133

$425 MX$7,414

-65.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,316 ₱265.0K

$10.7K MX$187.2K

-59.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.26 ₱2,840

$58.3 MX$1,017

-20.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.79 ₱1,645

$44.57 MX$777

-39.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,642

$103 MX$1,805

-26.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.6 ₱3,292

$109 MX$1,897

-50.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.0K

$1,014 MX$17.7K

-74.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₱10.8K

$623 MX$10.9K

-71.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 ₱36.5K

$2,119 MX$37.0K

-71.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 ₱24.4K

$1,223 MX$21.3K

-67.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,081 ₱127.8K

$3,792 MX$66.1K

-45.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$891 ₱54.7K

$2,110 MX$36.8K

-57.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.34

-41.18%

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

Last update for Surigao: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Surigao and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Surigao vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $293 per month, with Surigao 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

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

Surigao and Mexico City differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($785 vs $1,472 including rent). Surigao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,178 in Surigao and $2,208 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $261 in Surigao versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in Surigao 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 Surigao – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Surigao versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surigao but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surigao 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, Surigao 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 Surigao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.