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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,291 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,025 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,760 in Chaguanas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 15% more expensive than Chaguanas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Chaguanas is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.28 TTD 49.42

78.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$90.0 TTD 611

-41.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.55 TTD 51.2

28.74%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$3.05 TTD 20.70

22.95%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.08 TTD 7.37

45.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.77 TTD 5.23

46.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.88 TTD 12.78

69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.65 TTD 17.96

75.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$2.69 TTD 18.30

-39.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$2.30 TTD 15.62

17.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.67 TTD 18.14

-29.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$4.03 TTD 27.38

-37.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.83 TTD 53.1

28.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.45 TTD 64.2

-12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.34 TTD 83.8

-3.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$4.50 TTD 30.54

-36.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.60 TTD 17.65

-32.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.70 TTD 25.15

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$4.45 TTD 30.21

-55.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.47 TTD 10.01

46.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.70 TTD 11.57

28.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.49 TTD 10.14

-6.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$1.23 TTD 8.35

-8.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.63 TTD 31.45

-9.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$17.53 TTD 119

-18.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.17 TTD 14.74

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.82 TTD 19.12

30.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.24 TTD 8.43

-68.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.00 TTD 6.81

39.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.04 TTD 7.05

-71.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$15.07 TTD 102

-64.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.97 TTD 6.57

39.18%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$33.2K TTD 225.4K

-43.12%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$36.2K TTD 246.1K

-36.13%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$80.8 TTD 549

-49.49%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$46.53 TTD 316

-40.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$51.8 TTD 351

-41.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$43.92 TTD 298

21.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$29.38 TTD 200

-10.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$8.90 TTD 60.4

-29.55%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$319 TTD 2,164

36.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,197 TTD 48.9K

45.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$54.7 TTD 371

3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$38.52 TTD 262

16.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$134 TTD 910

-23.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$118 TTD 799

-8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$439 TTD 2,978

127.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$378 TTD 2,563

64.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$634 TTD 4,303

237.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$536 TTD 3,638

130.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$943 TTD 6,405

13.13%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $439 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $90.0 in Chaguanas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $340 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 15% 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.

Mexico City pays 13% more on average, 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $439 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Mexico City versus $1,291 in Chaguanas – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,291 in Chaguanas versus $1,484 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 $1,291 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 15% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.