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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,323 in Carlton versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,397 in Carlton versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,472 in Carlton versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Carlton is roughly 40% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 70% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 A$25.34

$11.92 MX$206

50.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 A$102

$51.6 MX$890

40.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 A$14.69

$11.41 MX$197

-8.68%

Cappuccino

$3.08 A$4.34

$3.99 MX$68.9

-22.81%

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

$2.64 A$3.73

$1.66 MX$28.61

59.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.07

$1.33 MX$22.87

63.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 A$9.72

$3.47 MX$59.9

98.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 A$9.36

$5.90 MX$102

12.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.85

$1.88 MX$32.36

-30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 A$2.88

$3.25 MX$56.1

-37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.97

$2.16 MX$37.26

-35.65%

Eggs

$3.39 A$4.78

$2.90 MX$49.94

16.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 A$15.42

$12.86 MX$222

-15.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.63

$10.05 MX$173

-3.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$21.83

$15.86 MX$273

-2.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.73

$3.29 MX$56.8

1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$3.99

$2.01 MX$34.60

40.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.65

$2.20 MX$37.93

49.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.70

$2.36 MX$40.63

101.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.51

$2.05 MX$35.43

21.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.13

$1.90 MX$32.79

16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 A$3.14

$1.61 MX$27.68

38.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 A$1.23

$1.40 MX$24.09

-37.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.25 A$35.61

$5.46 MX$94.2

362.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 A$15.01

$17.65 MX$304

-39.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.81

$2.06 MX$35.44

168.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.49

$4.68 MX$80.8

13.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 A$4.59

$0.34 MX$5.84

855.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 A$119

$20.81 MX$359

306.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.17

$2.10 MX$36.15

74.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 A$1.79

$0.56 MX$9.64

126.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.37 A$38.60

$5.81 MX$100

371.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.96

$1.61 MX$27.68

-13.66%

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

$18.2K A$25.7K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

-20.32%

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

$14.3K A$20.2K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

-46.39%

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

$94.9 A$134

$65.2 MX$1,124

45.54%

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

$28.80 A$40.62

$30.09 MX$519

-4.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.15 A$66.5

$37.18 MX$641

26.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.89 A$44.97

$59.8 MX$1,030

-46.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 A$26.23

$26.55 MX$458

-29.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 A$18.78

$7.04 MX$121

89.20%

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

$2,163 A$3,050

$465 MX$8,012

365.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K A$18.5K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 A$114

$75.9 MX$1,308

6.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 A$73.9

$56.0 MX$965

-6.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 A$103

$112 MX$1,929

-34.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$190

$121 MX$2,078

11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 A$2,052

$1,103 MX$19.0K

31.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 A$1,798

$721 MX$12.4K

76.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 A$3,212

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-9.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 A$2,604

$1,293 MX$22.3K

42.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,371 A$8,985

$3,991 MX$68.8K

59.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,980 A$7,023

$2,090 MX$36.0K

138.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,844 A$8,242

$1,037 MX$17.9K

463.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

11.3

-48.05%

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

Last update for Carlton: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,455 in Carlton and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 463% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $72.0 in Carlton vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $345, with Carlton cheaper for home cooking.

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

Carlton vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Mexico City differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,323 vs $1,660 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 463% higher in Carlton, 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: $1,455 in Carlton versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,163 in Carlton versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Carlton pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,323 in Carlton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Carlton. 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, Carlton and Mexico City 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 40% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.