Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tortola

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $2,450 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Tortola

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Tortola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $2,450 in Tortola.

Mexico City $1,674
Tortola $2,450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $4,150 in Tortola.

Mexico City $2,606
Tortola $4,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $5,850 in Tortola.

Mexico City $3,537
Tortola $5,850

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 32% less than in Tortola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Tortola 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$21.84 $21.84

-51.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$967

$82.2 $82.2

-36.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$200

$14.95 $14.95

-28.23%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.7

$8.04 $8.04

-52.74%

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

$1.61 MX$30.01

$1.85 $1.85

-12.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.55

$1.36 $1.36

-11.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.1

$3.89 $3.89

-18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$4.95 $4.95

9.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.96

$2.93 $2.93

-41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.2

$4.55 $4.55

-34.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.84

$6.97 $6.97

-72.31%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.6

$7.22 $7.22

-61.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$12.88 $12.88

-9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$12.86 $12.86

-26.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$286

$19.74 $19.74

-22.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.8

$2.00 $2.00

55.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.49

$3.98 $3.98

-50.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.88

$2.06 $2.06

-3.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.46

$7.47 $7.47

-68.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$6.16 $6.16

-67.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.95

$5.09 $5.09

-64.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.74

$11.85 $11.85

-87.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.6

$4.93 $4.93

8.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$301

$11.16 $11.16

45.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.46

$3.95 $3.95

-50.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.68

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.61

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

$21.4K MX$397.7K

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

$23.8K MX$442.1K

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

$62.0 MX$1,154

$98.7 $98.7

-37.17%

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

$28.47 MX$530

$102 $102

-72.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$635

$99.1 $99.1

-65.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,087

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$19.62 $19.62

-66.41%

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

$434 MX$8,081

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$261.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,020

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,063

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,159

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$1,403 $1,403

-15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$1,262 $1,262

-38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.8K

$3,283 $3,283

-21.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.4K

$3,099 $3,099

-54.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.4K

$10.9K $10.9K

-81.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.7K

$1,619 $1,619

-38.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tortola: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Tortola

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Tortola

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Tortola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Tortola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Tortola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Tortola

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Tortola

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $1,403 in Tortola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tortola pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $82 in Tortola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $491 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇻🇬 Tortola

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

2 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

8,449

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Tortola 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Tortola

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tortola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $2,450 in Tortola, so Mexico City is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Mexico City. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,403 in Tortola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52 versus $82 in Tortola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,674 per month in Mexico City versus $2,450 in Tortola – Mexico City is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Tortola on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.