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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,251 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $2,023 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,794 in Chaguanas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than in Chaguanas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Chaguanas is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$7.36 TTD 49.42

78.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$88.9 TTD 597

-39.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.49 TTD 50.3

24.57%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$3.12 TTD 20.93

18.59%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.04 TTD 6.99

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.76 TTD 5.12

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.83 TTD 12.30

71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$2.63 TTD 17.69

84.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$2.55 TTD 17.13

-35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$2.22 TTD 14.91

22.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$2.69 TTD 18.09

-29.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$4.10 TTD 27.56

-36.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$7.76 TTD 52.1

26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$9.16 TTD 61.5

-7.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$12.47 TTD 83.8

-4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$4.67 TTD 31.37

-36.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$2.54 TTD 17.09

-31.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.68 TTD 24.71

-44.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$4.42 TTD 29.68

-53.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.45 TTD 9.72

48.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.74 TTD 11.67

29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.44 TTD 9.67

-3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$1.24 TTD 8.33

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$4.60 TTD 30.86

-8.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$20.17 TTD 135

-13.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$2.14 TTD 14.35

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.70 TTD 18.10

34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$1.29 TTD 8.65

-72.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.01 TTD 6.81

36.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.07 TTD 7.19

-73.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$15.04 TTD 101

-64.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.91 TTD 6.09

49.45%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$32.8K TTD 220.3K

-41.77%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$36.8K TTD 246.9K

-35.80%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$80.8 TTD 542

-49.83%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$47.42 TTD 318

-42.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$50.8 TTD 341

-40.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$43.79 TTD 294

19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$29.35 TTD 197

-9.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$8.74 TTD 58.7

-29.18%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$318 TTD 2,133

33.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$7,344 TTD 49.3K

46.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$56.1 TTD 377

3.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$38.92 TTD 261

14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$136 TTD 910

-23.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$116 TTD 781

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$427 TTD 2,864

137.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$384 TTD 2,579

62.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$636 TTD 4,274

233.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$547 TTD 3,676

123.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$778 TTD 5,222

35.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.38

110.78%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $427 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 35% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $89.0 in Chaguanas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $342 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

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

Chaguanas wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chaguanas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $427 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Mexico City versus $1,251 in Chaguanas – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,251 in Chaguanas versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chaguanas but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Chaguanas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chaguanas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,251 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chaguanas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Chaguanas 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 Chaguanas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.