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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,153 in Tacarigua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $2,001 in Tacarigua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,849 in Tacarigua.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 26% more expensive than in Tacarigua, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Tacarigua is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$10.48 TTD 70.5

24.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$87.4 TTD 588

-38.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.55 TTD 44.07

47.79%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$3.03 TTD 20.40

23.43%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.00 TTD 6.73

62.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.72 TTD 4.84

61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.05 TTD 7.03

207.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.19 TTD 21.46

48.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.95 TTD 13.10

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.60 TTD 10.75

71.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.62 TTD 17.61

-28.63%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.57 TTD 23.99

-29.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$3.74 TTD 25.18

172.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.68 TTD 24.73

124.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$14.18 TTD 95.4

-16.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$5.71 TTD 38.42

-47.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.66 TTD 11.13

9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$4.21 TTD 28.32

-52.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$4.65 TTD 31.27

-56.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.00 TTD 6.70

108.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.45 TTD 3.04

404.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.46 TTD 9.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.41 TTD 9.51

-23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$5.75 TTD 38.70

-24.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$19.08 TTD 128

-10.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$2.14 TTD 14.36

-19.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.83 TTD 19.03

26.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.06 TTD 7.11

-63.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.00 TTD 6.73

33.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.21 TTD 8.17

-76.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$14.51 TTD 97.6

-63.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.42 TTD 2.85

219.05%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$33.4K TTD 224.4K

-41.82%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$32.3K TTD 217.1K

-26.15%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$80.3 TTD 540

-49.33%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$46.50 TTD 313

-42.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$36.75 TTD 247

-16.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$50.8 TTD 342

3.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$7.61 TTD 51.2

-14.45%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$327 TTD 2,200

30.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$7,296 TTD 49.1K

43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$29.83 TTD 201

91.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$29.35 TTD 197

55.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$72.7 TTD 489

43.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$45.20 TTD 304

138.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$371 TTD 2,493

68.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$889 TTD 5,978

37.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tacarigua: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $87.0 in Tacarigua for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,153 including rent). Tacarigua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,729 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 $428 in Mexico City versus $327 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 $87.0 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,153 in Tacarigua versus $1,456 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.