Cost of Living Comparison Between Port of Spain and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Port of Spain and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,573 in Port of Spain versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,743 in Port of Spain versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,913 in Port of Spain versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Port of Spain is roughly 7% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port of Spain 17% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.21 TTD 68.4

$13.18 MX$228

-22.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 TTD 599

$53.9 MX$932

65.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 TTD 48.97

$9.42 MX$163

-22.40%

Cappuccino

$3.66 TTD 24.54

$3.55 MX$61.4

3.10%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.01

$1.62 MX$27.98

-35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.50

$1.11 MX$19.27

-26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 TTD 12.13

$3.12 MX$54.0

-41.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 TTD 20.46

$4.63 MX$80.1

-34.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 TTD 17.61

$1.70 MX$29.43

54.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 TTD 18.16

$2.72 MX$47.02

-0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 TTD 17.16

$1.91 MX$33.07

34.03%

Eggs

$5.03 TTD 33.73

$2.54 MX$43.86

98.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 TTD 53.5

$10.03 MX$174

-20.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 TTD 69.1

$8.09 MX$140

27.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 TTD 95.2

$11.62 MX$201

22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 TTD 38.38

$2.97 MX$51.3

92.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 TTD 16.79

$1.81 MX$31.24

38.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 TTD 29.05

$2.01 MX$34.82

115.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 TTD 32.28

$2.03 MX$35.20

137.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 TTD 9.71

$2.12 MX$36.75

-31.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 TTD 11.18

$2.27 MX$39.25

-26.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 TTD 13.15

$1.40 MX$24.22

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 TTD 9.84

$1.13 MX$19.55

30.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 TTD 38.67

$4.27 MX$73.9

35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.09 TTD 121

$15.56 MX$269

16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 TTD 14.55

$1.76 MX$30.39

23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 TTD 19.07

$3.60 MX$62.2

-20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 TTD 7.10

$0.38 MX$6.62

178.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.6 TTD 641

$19.18 MX$332

398.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 TTD 7.01

$1.38 MX$23.79

-23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 TTD 8.56

$0.28 MX$4.78

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 TTD 99.9

$5.45 MX$94.2

173.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 TTD 7.31

$1.30 MX$22.55

-16.15%

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

$34.1K TTD 228.1K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

82.22%

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

$38.0K TTD 254.6K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

64.32%

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

$80.6 TTD 540

$40.86 MX$707

97.36%

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

$45.86 TTD 307

$26.81 MX$464

71.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 TTD 410

$29.96 MX$518

104.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 TTD 360

$52.0 MX$900

3.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.24 TTD 88.7

$26.84 MX$464

-50.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.05 TTD 67.3

$6.30 MX$109

59.52%

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

$329 TTD 2,203

$436 MX$7,544

-24.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 TTD 47.5K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-31.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 TTD 398

$56.7 MX$980

4.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 TTD 258

$44.38 MX$768

-13.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 TTD 967

$103 MX$1,780

40.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 TTD 849

$106 MX$1,825

20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 TTD 5,086

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 TTD 3,208

$631 MX$10.9K

-24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 TTD 12.3K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-13.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 TTD 8,526

$1,243 MX$21.5K

2.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,382 TTD 29.4K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

12.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,724 TTD 11.5K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-16.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 TTD 4,908

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-34.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

11.34

-52.56%

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

Last update for Port of Spain: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Port of Spain and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Port of Spain vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $288 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

Port of Spain vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port of Spain and Mexico City differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,573 vs $1,467 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 52% less. 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: $759 in Port of Spain versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 399% less than in Port of Spain. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $329 in Port of Spain versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,573 in Port of Spain, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Port of Spain. 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Port of Spain. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.