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: $2,121 in Carlton versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Carlton versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,048 in Carlton versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Carlton is roughly 44% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 59% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.39 A$27.51

$13.14 MX$227

47.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 A$91.9

$53.5 MX$926

20.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 A$13.51

$9.33 MX$161

2.04%

Cappuccino

$2.83 A$4.02

$3.70 MX$64.0

-23.51%

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

$2.37 A$3.36

$1.60 MX$27.76

48.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 A$2.83

$1.12 MX$19.34

77.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.21 A$8.81

$3.14 MX$54.3

97.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 A$8.79

$4.85 MX$83.9

27.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.57

$1.65 MX$28.61

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 A$2.41

$2.71 MX$46.96

-37.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.91 MX$33.03

-15.18%

Eggs

$2.99 A$4.24

$2.59 MX$44.81

15.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 A$12.90

$9.81 MX$170

-7.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.27

$8.43 MX$146

10.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 A$20.49

$11.93 MX$206

21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.55

$2.95 MX$51.1

8.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$1.74 MX$30.10

46.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.12

$2.04 MX$35.38

42.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.83

$2.06 MX$35.64

99.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.18

$2.15 MX$37.20

4.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.85

$2.26 MX$39.02

-11.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.01

$1.39 MX$23.97

52.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.12 MX$19.31

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.15 A$41.36

$4.22 MX$73.0

590.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 A$15.11

$17.51 MX$303

-39.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.61 A$6.54

$1.71 MX$29.58

169.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$3.63 MX$62.8

43.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 A$4.23

$0.35 MX$6.10

751.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 A$72.5

$19.32 MX$334

164.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$5.00

$1.38 MX$23.80

155.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$0.28 MX$4.77

389.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 A$35.33

$5.28 MX$91.3

371.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.36 MX$23.50

-13.24%

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

$23.3K A$33.1K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

22.19%

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

$12.9K A$18.3K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

-45.33%

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

$74.2 A$105

$40.53 MX$701

82.95%

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

$21.33 A$30.27

$27.38 MX$474

-22.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.62 A$61.9

$30.38 MX$526

43.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.22 A$65.6

$52.2 MX$903

-11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 A$25.56

$26.48 MX$458

-31.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 A$16.93

$6.19 MX$107

92.73%

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

$1,177 A$1,670

$425 MX$7,355

176.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K A$16.3K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

6.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 A$98.1

$58.3 MX$1,009

18.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 A$74.4

$44.57 MX$771

17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 A$110

$103 MX$1,791

-25.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$146

$109 MX$1,881

-5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 A$1,845

$1,014 MX$17.5K

28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 A$1,628

$623 MX$10.8K

84.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 A$2,756

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 A$2,269

$1,223 MX$21.2K

30.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,052 A$8,587

$3,792 MX$65.6K

59.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,426 A$7,699

$2,110 MX$36.5K

157.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,828 A$8,269

$1,052 MX$18.2K

453.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

11.34

-45.41%

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

Last update for Carlton: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,300 in Carlton and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 454% 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: $65.0 in Carlton vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $293 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

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

Carlton and Mexico City differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,121 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 454% 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: $1,300 in Carlton versus $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,177 in Carlton versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,121 in Carlton, a $2,000 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 44% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.