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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,983 in Port Vila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $4,058 in Port Vila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $5,134 in Port Vila.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 51% less than in Port Vila, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Port Vila 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$11.14 VUV 1,281

18.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$64.5 VUV 7,420

-16.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.83 VUV 1,130

-4.17%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$5.25 VUV 603

-32.38%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$2.15 VUV 247

-24.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$1.74 VUV 200

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$4.42 VUV 508

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$4.23 VUV 486

9.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$2.23 VUV 257

-23.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$2.50 VUV 288

8.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$3.93 VUV 452

-51.40%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$5.18 VUV 596

-50.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$20.04 VUV 2,304

-49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$18.57 VUV 2,136

-56.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$18.19 VUV 2,092

-36.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$4.66 VUV 536

-36.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$2.05 VUV 236

-11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$6.03 VUV 694

-66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$2.47 VUV 284

-17.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$4.40 VUV 506

-51.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$2.18 VUV 251

4.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$2.57 VUV 296

-45.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$1.06 VUV 121

6.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$9.46 VUV 1,088

-54.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$12.44 VUV 1,431

25.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$2.95 VUV 340

-40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.94 VUV 338

22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.72 VUV 198

-77.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$68.0 VUV 7,820

-71.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.14 VUV 246

-35.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.82 VUV 94.8

-65.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$5.10 VUV 587

6.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.89 VUV 217

-31.22%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$23.1K VUV 2.7M

-19.11%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$38.6K VUV 4.4M

-40.01%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$531 VUV 61.1K

-92.30%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$25.37 VUV 2,918

5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$227 VUV 26.2K

-86.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$16.92 VUV 1,947

58.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$12.71 VUV 1,462

-50.43%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$624 VUV 71.8K

-30.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$6,796 VUV 781.6K

53.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$45.92 VUV 5,282

23.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$68.2 VUV 7,844

-34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,882 VUV 216.4K

-45.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$1,392 VUV 160.1K

-54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$3,353 VUV 385.6K

-36.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$2,083 VUV 239.6K

-40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$6,040 VUV 694.8K

-35.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$2,291 VUV 263.5K

-9.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$696 VUV 80.1K

60.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

62.00%

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 Vila: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,882 in Port Vila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 60% 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 $65.0 in Port Vila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $449 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 103% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $2,983 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 60% 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 $1,882 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 254% less than in Port Vila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $624 in Port Vila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,983 in Port Vila, a $2,000 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 103% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.