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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,980 in Port Vila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $4,025 in Port Vila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $5,070 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 9% above, Port Vila 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$11.23 VUV 1,310

16.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$64.2 VUV 7,487

-16.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$9.37 VUV 1,093

3.31%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$5.06 VUV 591

-26.09%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$2.18 VUV 254

-25.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.69 VUV 197

-31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.42 VUV 516

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$4.19 VUV 489

13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.22 VUV 259

-25.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.48 VUV 289

10.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$3.85 VUV 449

-51.43%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$5.19 VUV 605

-51.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$20.31 VUV 2,368

-49.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$18.40 VUV 2,146

-55.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$18.41 VUV 2,147

-35.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.82 VUV 562

-37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$2.09 VUV 244

-13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$6.08 VUV 709

-67.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.55 VUV 297

-21.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$4.24 VUV 495

-50.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.08 VUV 243

9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$2.59 VUV 302

-43.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.05 VUV 123

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$8.99 VUV 1,049

-51.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$12.67 VUV 1,478

34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.99 VUV 349

-42.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.02 VUV 352

18.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.69 VUV 198

-76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$66.6 VUV 7,773

-71.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.15 VUV 251

-38.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.82 VUV 96.0

-65.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.04 VUV 588

4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.85 VUV 216

-27.57%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$23.5K VUV 2.7M

-17.34%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$38.0K VUV 4.4M

-37.34%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$542 VUV 63.2K

-92.49%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$24.94 VUV 2,909

7.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$226 VUV 26.4K

-86.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$16.52 VUV 1,926

61.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$12.55 VUV 1,464

-48.13%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$620 VUV 72.3K

-30.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,934 VUV 808.8K

51.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$46.05 VUV 5,371

24.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$67.3 VUV 7,854

-32.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$1,894 VUV 220.9K

-47.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$1,412 VUV 164.7K

-55.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$3,379 VUV 394.2K

-37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$2,063 VUV 240.6K

-40.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$6,092 VUV 710.6K

-36.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$2,199 VUV 256.5K

-7.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$689 VUV 80.4K

50.65%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Port Vila: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $1,894 in Port Vila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 51% 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 $64.0 in Port Vila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $451 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 105% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $2,980 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $1,894 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 257% less than in Port Vila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $620 in Port Vila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,456 in Mexico City versus $2,980 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 105% less than in Port Vila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.