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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,573 in Port of Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,743 in Port of Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,913 in Port of Spain.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 7% less than in Port of Spain, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Port of Spain 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.21 TTD 68.4

29.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$89.4 TTD 599

-39.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.31 TTD 48.97

28.86%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.66 TTD 24.54

-3.01%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.05 TTD 7.01

54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.82 TTD 5.50

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.81 TTD 12.13

72.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.05 TTD 20.46

51.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.63 TTD 17.61

-35.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$2.71 TTD 18.16

0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.56 TTD 17.16

-25.39%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$5.03 TTD 33.73

-49.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$7.98 TTD 53.5

25.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$10.31 TTD 69.1

-21.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$14.21 TTD 95.2

-18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$5.73 TTD 38.38

-48.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$2.51 TTD 16.79

-27.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$4.34 TTD 29.05

-53.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$4.82 TTD 32.28

-57.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.45 TTD 9.71

46.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.67 TTD 11.18

35.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.96 TTD 13.15

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.47 TTD 9.84

-23.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.77 TTD 38.67

-26.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$18.09 TTD 121

-13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.17 TTD 14.55

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.85 TTD 19.07

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.06 TTD 7.10

-64.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$95.6 TTD 641

-79.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.05 TTD 7.01

31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.28 TTD 8.56

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$14.91 TTD 99.9

-63.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.09 TTD 7.31

19.27%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$34.1K TTD 228.1K

-45.12%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$38.0K TTD 254.6K

-39.14%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$80.6 TTD 540

-49.33%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$45.86 TTD 307

-41.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$61.2 TTD 410

-51.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$53.7 TTD 360

-3.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$13.24 TTD 88.7

102.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.05 TTD 67.3

-37.31%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$329 TTD 2,203

32.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,096 TTD 47.5K

46.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$59.5 TTD 398

-4.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$38.55 TTD 258

15.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$144 TTD 967

-28.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$127 TTD 849

-16.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$759 TTD 5,086

34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$479 TTD 3,208

31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,841 TTD 12.3K

16.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,273 TTD 8,526

-2.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$4,382 TTD 29.4K

-10.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,724 TTD 11.5K

19.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$733 TTD 4,908

52.22%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port of Spain: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $759 in Port of Spain. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $89.0 in Port of Spain for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $373 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,573 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 52% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $759 in Port of Spain. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 399% less than in Port of Spain. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $329 in Port of Spain. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,573 in Port of Spain, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Port of Spain. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.