Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tacarigua Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tacarigua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,151 in Tacarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,019 in Tacarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,886 in Tacarigua.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than Tacarigua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tacarigua is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.38 TTD 69.5

26.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$90.0 TTD 603

-40.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.56 TTD 43.98

43.60%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.88 TTD 19.28

23.26%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.01 TTD 6.79

60.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.71 TTD 4.75

56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.00 TTD 6.71

212.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.03 TTD 20.28

52.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.87 TTD 12.55

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.61 TTD 10.80

68.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.67 TTD 17.92

-28.46%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.58 TTD 24.01

-29.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$3.76 TTD 25.22

166.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.74 TTD 25.03

116.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$14.25 TTD 95.5

-18.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$5.81 TTD 38.92

-48.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.61 TTD 10.78

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$4.39 TTD 29.39

-54.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$4.78 TTD 31.99

-57.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.93 TTD 6.24

127.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.46 TTD 3.09

393.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.51 TTD 10.15

-7.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.40 TTD 9.39

-19.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$5.79 TTD 38.80

-26.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$18.42 TTD 123

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$2.13 TTD 14.28

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.82 TTD 18.87

27.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.00 TTD 6.73

-62.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.01 TTD 6.77

36.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.24 TTD 8.30

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$14.72 TTD 98.6

-62.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.46 TTD 3.08

182.61%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$33.9K TTD 227.3K

-44.93%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$32.1K TTD 215.3K

-28.04%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$80.1 TTD 537

-49.01%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$47.20 TTD 316

-43.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$36.74 TTD 246

-18.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$52.7 TTD 353

-1.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.30 TTD 48.93

-13.70%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$325 TTD 2,174

34.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$7,108 TTD 47.6K

46.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$30.05 TTD 201

88.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$29.81 TTD 200

48.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$74.5 TTD 499

38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$44.75 TTD 300

135.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$367 TTD 2,461

71.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$889 TTD 5,955

39.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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 Tacarigua: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $90.0 in Tacarigua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $292 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 Tacarigua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tacarigua differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,151 including rent). Tacarigua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,727 in Tacarigua to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $325 in Tacarigua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tacarigua – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,151 in Tacarigua versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tacarigua but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tacarigua 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 Tacarigua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.