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: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $1,296 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,100 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $2,903 in Chaguanas.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than in Chaguanas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Chaguanas is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$10.20 TTD 69.0

17.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$937

$59.6 TTD 403

-11.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$8.13 TTD 55.0

43.79%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.7

$3.21 TTD 21.73

20.56%

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

$1.75 MX$31.05

$1.31 TTD 8.88

33.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.74

$0.98 TTD 6.60

41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.6

$1.74 TTD 11.79

93.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$2.57 TTD 17.36

124.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.04

$2.39 TTD 16.14

-24.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.7

$2.25 TTD 15.25

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.78

$2.15 TTD 14.53

-0.93%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.8

$3.76 TTD 25.42

-20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$222

$7.16 TTD 48.42

75.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$182

$8.21 TTD 55.5

24.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$282

$11.56 TTD 78.2

37.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$60.1

$2.92 TTD 19.75

16.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.37

$2.99 TTD 20.23

-29.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.73

$3.00 TTD 20.27

-29.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.77

$5.23 TTD 35.38

-52.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.16

$2.46 TTD 16.62

-17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.72

$2.16 TTD 14.64

-6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.25

$2.01 TTD 13.61

-20.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.58

$1.31 TTD 8.88

1.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.4

$2.99 TTD 20.24

83.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$311

$20.13 TTD 136

-12.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.74

$1.90 TTD 12.88

5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$84.1

$2.64 TTD 17.84

79.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.96

$0.72 TTD 4.91

-52.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.41

$2.16 TTD 14.63

-5.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.79

$1.35 TTD 9.15

-54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$14.94 TTD 101

-61.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.20

$1.16 TTD 7.84

37.07%

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

$22.9K MX$406.1K

$33.4K TTD 226.0K

-31.47%

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

$26.4K MX$467.9K

$32.8K TTD 221.7K

-19.50%

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

$64.2 MX$1,140

$105 TTD 710

-38.75%

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

$29.42 MX$522

$39.53 TTD 267

-25.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$653

$51.9 TTD 351

-29.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,042

$51.5 TTD 348

14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$471

$44.83 TTD 303

-40.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$9.03 TTD 61.1

-23.03%

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

$463 MX$8,210

$303 TTD 2,049

52.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$237.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,338

$45.47 TTD 308

65.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$962

$42.86 TTD 290

26.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,972

$102 TTD 691

8.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,167

$110 TTD 741

11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.1K

$469 TTD 3,174

141.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.4K

$374 TTD 2,528

86.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.3K

$949 TTD 6,420

157.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.1K

$749 TTD 5,071

73.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.7K

$784 TTD 5,305

34.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

126.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $469 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 34% 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 $60.0 in Chaguanas. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $328, with Chaguanas cheaper for home cooking.

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 29% 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 34% 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: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $469 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,668 per month in Mexico City versus $1,296 in Chaguanas – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,296 in Chaguanas versus $1,668 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 $1,296 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 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.