Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Port of Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Port of Spain

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,613 in Port of Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $2,727 in Port of Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $3,841 in Port of Spain.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 2% more expensive than in Port of Spain, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Port of Spain 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$10.54 TTD 70.1

14.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$90.5 TTD 602

-42.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$8.75 TTD 58.2

24.57%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$3.80 TTD 25.29

6.58%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$1.05 TTD 6.99

63.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.71 TTD 4.71

94.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.28 TTD 15.15

52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.68 TTD 24.51

57.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.44 TTD 16.27

-24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$2.51 TTD 16.72

28.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$2.88 TTD 19.15

-27.43%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$4.53 TTD 30.15

-35.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$6.85 TTD 45.56

82.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$10.12 TTD 67.4

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$11.83 TTD 78.7

34.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$5.61 TTD 37.33

-41.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$3.02 TTD 20.11

-29.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$3.79 TTD 25.24

-42.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$4.27 TTD 28.41

-42.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$2.15 TTD 14.31

1.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.95 TTD 12.94

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.84 TTD 12.27

-11.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.42 TTD 9.42

-4.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$6.06 TTD 40.30

-10.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$18.94 TTD 126

-7.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.24 TTD 14.90

-7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.97 TTD 19.79

59.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.17 TTD 7.77

-70.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$136 TTD 902

-84.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.03 TTD 6.82

98.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.24 TTD 8.23

-53.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$14.97 TTD 99.6

-60.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.17 TTD 7.79

38.46%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$37.4K TTD 248.8K

-39.00%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$41.7K TTD 277.6K

-36.08%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$91.5 TTD 609

-28.72%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$52.4 TTD 349

-43.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$57.5 TTD 382

-36.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$57.1 TTD 380

6.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$13.12 TTD 87.3

103.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$8.72 TTD 58.0

-21.44%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$399 TTD 2,655

13.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$11.1K TTD 73.8K

20.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$54.8 TTD 364

36.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$52.9 TTD 352

4.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$147 TTD 981

-22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$103 TTD 685

19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$1,028 TTD 6,841

10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$518 TTD 3,449

37.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$2,187 TTD 14.6K

17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,195 TTD 7,949

9.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$4,371 TTD 29.1K

-8.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,974 TTD 13.1K

6.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$776 TTD 5,165

34.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.75

96.52%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Port of Spain: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $1,028 in Port of Spain. 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $90.0 in Port of Spain for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $358 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 Port of Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Port of Spain differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $1,613 including rent). Port of Spain is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $1,028 in Port of Spain. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port of Spain runs roughly 528% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $399 in Port of Spain. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,613 in Port of Spain versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Port of Spain but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Port of Spain 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 Port of Spain gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.