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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Cartagena versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cartagena versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,844 in Cartagena versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 13% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 6% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 €13.18

$11.92 MX$206

26.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 €51.0

$51.6 MX$890

13.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 €7.16

$11.41 MX$197

-28.05%

Cappuccino

$2.67 €2.33

$3.99 MX$68.9

-33.08%

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

$2.64 €2.30

$1.66 MX$28.61

59.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.33 MX$22.87

39.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.47 MX$59.9

-0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.48

$5.90 MX$102

-32.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.88 MX$32.36

-34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 €1.06

$3.25 MX$56.1

-62.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$2.16 MX$37.26

21.76%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.51

$2.90 MX$49.94

38.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 €11.65

$12.86 MX$222

3.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 €6.13

$10.05 MX$173

-30.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 €16.88

$15.86 MX$273

22.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.14

$3.29 MX$56.8

-25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.01 MX$34.60

2.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.20 MX$37.93

-25.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.77

$2.36 MX$40.63

34.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.05 MX$35.43

-36.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.90 MX$32.79

-29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.61 MX$27.68

3.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$1.40 MX$24.09

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 €4.97

$5.46 MX$94.2

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 €5.37

$17.65 MX$304

-65.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.13

$2.06 MX$35.44

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$4.68 MX$80.8

-75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 €1.32

$0.34 MX$5.84

344.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.68 €10.18

$20.81 MX$359

-43.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 €5.10

$2.10 MX$36.15

178.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.96

$0.56 MX$9.64

301.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.21 €25.46

$5.81 MX$100

402.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.61 MX$27.68

4.35%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

56.92%

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

$30.6K €26.7K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

14.53%

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

$216 €188

$65.2 MX$1,124

231.71%

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

$20.01 €17.44

$30.09 MX$519

-33.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 €25.90

$37.18 MX$641

-20.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 €36.76

$59.8 MX$1,030

-29.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.88 €11.23

$26.55 MX$458

-51.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 €7.21

$7.04 MX$121

17.47%

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

$425 €371

$465 MX$8,012

-8.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,791 €2,433

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-78.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.37 €41.29

$75.9 MX$1,308

-37.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.32 €31.66

$56.0 MX$965

-35.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 €54.7

$112 MX$1,929

-43.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.8

$121 MX$2,078

-10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 €535

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-44.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 €445

$721 MX$12.4K

-29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €776

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-64.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 €650

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-42.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 €1,562

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-55.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,463 €1,276

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-29.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 €1,518

$1,037 MX$17.9K

67.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

11.3

-64.07%

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

Last update for Cartagena: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Cartagena and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Cartagena vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $345, with Cartagena 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

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

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Cartagena, 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: $614 in Cartagena versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartagena – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,451 per month in Cartagena versus $1,660 in Mexico City – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,451 in Cartagena versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cartagena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,451 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.