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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $3,162 in Port Vila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $4,309 in Port Vila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $5,456 in Port Vila.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 48% less than in Port Vila, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 20% above, Port Vila 130% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$12.55 VUV 1,446

-3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$57.5 VUV 6,626

-9.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$14.58 VUV 1,681

-25.24%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$4.14 VUV 477

-2.17%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$2.27 VUV 261

-24.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$2.45 VUV 282

-43.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$4.97 VUV 573

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$7.03 VUV 810

-17.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$2.74 VUV 316

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.89 VUV 217

70.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$3.66 VUV 422

-42.90%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$6.35 VUV 731

-54.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$17.86 VUV 2,058

-30.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$16.17 VUV 1,864

-37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$13.93 VUV 1,605

14.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$6.96 VUV 802

-52.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$2.14 VUV 246

-0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$3.95 VUV 456

-44.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$9.34 VUV 1,076

-73.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$8.81 VUV 1,015

-75.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$3.50 VUV 403

-45.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$2.48 VUV 285

-34.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$1.21 VUV 140

11.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$9.19 VUV 1,059

-40.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$12.65 VUV 1,458

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$2.43 VUV 279

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.75 VUV 316

72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.26 VUV 145

-73.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$68.3 VUV 7,872

-68.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$2.56 VUV 294

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.80 VUV 92.1

-27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$5.19 VUV 598

15.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.74 VUV 201

-6.90%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$23.1K VUV 2.7M

-1.26%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$38.5K VUV 4.4M

-30.76%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$635 VUV 73.1K

-89.72%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$22.76 VUV 2,623

31.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$366 VUV 42.2K

-90.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$67.6 VUV 7,787

-9.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$16.59 VUV 1,912

60.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

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

$453 MX$7,664

$630 VUV 72.6K

-28.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$6,806 VUV 784.3K

96.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$42.39 VUV 4,886

76.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$68.3 VUV 7,876

-19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$82.8 VUV 9,544

37.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$103 VUV 11.9K

18.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$1,556 VUV 179.3K

-27.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$1,147 VUV 132.2K

-37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$3,423 VUV 394.5K

-24.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$1,899 VUV 218.8K

-30.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$6,073 VUV 699.8K

-34.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$2,260 VUV 260.4K

-7.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$700 VUV 80.7K

49.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.18

82.85%

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 Vila: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $1,556 in Port Vila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $57.0 in Port Vila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $473 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 Vila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Port Vila differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $3,162 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $1,556 in Port Vila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 217% less than in Port Vila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $630 in Port Vila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,646 in Mexico City versus $3,162 in Port Vila, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Port Vila. 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Port Vila 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.