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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Tacloban versus $1,682 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,197 in Tacloban versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,589 in Tacloban versus $3,516 in Mexico City.

Living in Tacloban costs roughly 52% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tacloban is 41% below, Mexico City is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 ₱246

$11.83 MX$200

-66.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.26 ₱1,002

$52.2 MX$884

-68.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.46 ₱151

$10.87 MX$184

-77.37%

Cappuccino

$2.45 ₱151

$4.03 MX$68.2

-39.21%

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

$0.63 ₱38.83

$1.71 MX$28.99

-63.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.18

$1.34 MX$22.70

-71.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 ₱103

$3.39 MX$57.5

-51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₱142

$5.74 MX$97.3

-59.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱120

$1.89 MX$31.99

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 ₱73.2

$3.17 MX$53.8

-62.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱56.8

$2.05 MX$34.74

-55.12%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱125

$3.01 MX$51.1

-32.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 ₱621

$12.61 MX$214

-20.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₱265

$9.94 MX$169

-56.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 ₱445

$16.00 MX$271

-54.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ₱211

$3.28 MX$55.6

4.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ₱72.1

$2.06 MX$34.87

-43.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱149

$2.09 MX$35.36

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₱96.5

$2.50 MX$42.44

-37.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 ₱148

$2.05 MX$34.76

17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱120

$1.87 MX$31.70

3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱73.6

$1.57 MX$26.66

-24.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱41.68

$1.39 MX$23.64

-51.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.90 ₱117

$5.38 MX$91.2

-64.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 ₱387

$17.95 MX$304

-65.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱71.0

$2.02 MX$34.31

-43.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₱106

$4.76 MX$80.7

-64.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.87

$0.36 MX$6.13

-27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.06 ₱743

$20.80 MX$353

-42.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱48.71

$2.06 MX$34.92

-61.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱12.89

$0.56 MX$9.55

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ₱117

$5.82 MX$98.6

-67.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₱64.7

$1.54 MX$26.05

-31.82%

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

$22.0K ₱1.4M

$22.5K MX$380.6K

-1.93%

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

$19.9K ₱1.2M

$26.5K MX$448.7K

-24.69%

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

$123 ₱7,601

$66.0 MX$1,118

86.92%

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

$15.00 ₱924

$30.98 MX$525

-51.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.80 ₱1,776

$36.20 MX$613

-20.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.62 ₱2,011

$57.5 MX$975

-43.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.38 ₱270

$26.75 MX$453

-83.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.55 ₱342

$7.13 MX$121

-22.16%

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

$136 ₱8,396

$457 MX$7,738

-70.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,258 ₱509.1K

$13.2K MX$224.5K

-37.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.71 ₱1,831

$75.8 MX$1,285

-60.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.99 ₱1,232

$54.1 MX$917

-63.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 ₱4,845

$116 MX$1,974

-32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,653

$122 MX$2,063

-51.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱16.7K

$1,147 MX$19.4K

-76.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ₱11.8K

$726 MX$12.3K

-73.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱30.8K

$2,503 MX$42.4K

-80.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₱22.2K

$1,331 MX$22.6K

-72.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,464 ₱151.9K

$3,895 MX$66.0K

-36.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,028 ₱63.4K

$2,149 MX$36.4K

-52.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$355 ₱21.9K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-66.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.35

-36.56%

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

Last update for Tacloban: August 16, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Tacloban and $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 201% 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: $16.00 in Tacloban vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $344 per month, with Tacloban 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

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

Tacloban and Mexico City differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($804 vs $1,682 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 201% lower in Mexico City. 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: $271 in Tacloban versus $1,147 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tacloban runs roughly 72% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $136 in Tacloban versus $457 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $804 in Tacloban versus $1,682 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tacloban but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tacloban 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 Tacloban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.