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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,263 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $2,026 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,789 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 8% above, Chaguanas is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$7.18 TTD 48.53

80.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$90.1 TTD 609

-41.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.32 TTD 49.49

28.83%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$3.15 TTD 21.28

13.33%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.05 TTD 7.09

53.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.83 TTD 5.64

38.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.81 TTD 12.23

74.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.68 TTD 18.13

81.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$2.64 TTD 17.86

-35.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$2.18 TTD 14.72

21.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$2.70 TTD 18.24

-29.63%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$4.18 TTD 28.25

-39.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$8.11 TTD 54.9

24.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$9.15 TTD 61.9

-9.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$12.68 TTD 85.7

-8.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$4.60 TTD 31.07

-34.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.61 TTD 17.67

-34.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$3.58 TTD 24.21

-42.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$4.39 TTD 29.67

-53.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.43 TTD 9.65

44.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.66 TTD 11.22

30.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.52 TTD 10.26

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$1.24 TTD 8.37

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.76 TTD 32.16

-9.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$18.32 TTD 124

-15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$2.10 TTD 14.22

-20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.72 TTD 18.38

35.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.29 TTD 8.71

-70.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.06 TTD 7.14

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.07 TTD 7.21

-73.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$14.68 TTD 99.2

-63.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$0.96 TTD 6.48

33.33%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$33.1K TTD 223.5K

-42.57%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$37.1K TTD 250.6K

-36.71%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$79.2 TTD 536

-48.22%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$47.23 TTD 319

-43.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$51.6 TTD 349

-42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$44.85 TTD 303

16.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$29.40 TTD 199

-10.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$9.08 TTD 61.4

-31.94%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$316 TTD 2,139

34.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$7,267 TTD 49.1K

47.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$56.3 TTD 380

1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$37.88 TTD 256

18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$136 TTD 922

-23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$121 TTD 816

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$435 TTD 2,938

128.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$385 TTD 2,601

61.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$612 TTD 4,139

247.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$547 TTD 3,698

129.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$803 TTD 5,426

37.96%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $435 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 38% 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 $288 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 38% 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $435 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mexico City pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,447 per month in Mexico City versus $1,263 in Chaguanas – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,263 in Chaguanas versus $1,447 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 $1,263 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.