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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Carthage versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,056 in Carthage versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,462 in Carthage versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Carthage costs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carthage is 52% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 TND 14.55

$13.18 MX$228

-61.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.83 TND 75.0

$53.9 MX$932

-52.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 TND 15.14

$9.42 MX$163

-44.59%

Cappuccino

$1.06 TND 3.08

$3.55 MX$61.4

-70.14%

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

$0.70 TND 2.04

$1.62 MX$27.98

-56.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 TND 0.82

$1.11 MX$19.27

-74.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 TND 4.87

$3.12 MX$54.0

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 TND 5.57

$4.63 MX$80.1

-58.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 TND 1.43

$1.70 MX$29.43

-71.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 TND 0.58

$2.72 MX$47.02

-92.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 TND 5.04

$1.91 MX$33.07

-8.90%

Eggs

$1.64 TND 4.77

$2.54 MX$43.86

-35.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 TND 30.39

$10.03 MX$174

4.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 TND 17.75

$8.09 MX$140

-24.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 TND 43.21

$11.62 MX$201

28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 TND 5.88

$2.97 MX$51.3

-31.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 TND 10.24

$1.81 MX$31.24

95.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 TND 3.26

$2.01 MX$34.82

-44.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 TND 2.14

$2.03 MX$35.20

-63.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 TND 2.27

$2.12 MX$36.75

-63.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 TND 1.92

$2.27 MX$39.25

-70.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 TND 1.34

$1.40 MX$24.22

-67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$1.13 MX$19.55

-72.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 TND 10.32

$4.27 MX$73.9

-16.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 TND 22.59

$15.56 MX$269

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 TND 3.77

$1.76 MX$30.39

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 TND 3.65

$3.60 MX$62.2

-65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 TND 1.03

$0.38 MX$6.62

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.26 TND 21.08

$19.18 MX$332

-62.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$1.38 MX$23.79

-76.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$0.28 MX$4.78

10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 TND 9.79

$5.45 MX$94.2

-38.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 TND 2.41

$1.30 MX$22.55

-36.15%

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

$40.3K TND 117.1K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

115.89%

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

$36.2K TND 105.1K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

56.47%

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

$45.69 TND 133

$40.86 MX$707

11.82%

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

$9.47 TND 27.50

$26.81 MX$464

-64.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.94 TND 55.0

$29.96 MX$518

-36.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.63 TND 109

$52.0 MX$900

-27.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 TND 39.15

$26.84 MX$464

-49.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 TND 15.41

$6.30 MX$109

-15.71%

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

$109 TND 316

$436 MX$7,544

-75.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,369 TND 9,781

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-67.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.85 TND 130

$56.7 MX$980

-20.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 TND 178

$44.38 MX$768

38.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 TND 282

$103 MX$1,780

-5.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 TND 191

$106 MX$1,825

-37.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 TND 487

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-83.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.8 TND 290

$631 MX$10.9K

-84.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 TND 874

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-85.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 TND 695

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-80.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$867 TND 2,519

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-77.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$413 TND 1,198

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-80.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 TND 807

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-75.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

11.34

-3.35%

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

Last update for Carthage: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $168 in Carthage and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 301% 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: $26.00 in Carthage vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $288 per month, with Carthage 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

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

Carthage and Mexico City differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($650 vs $1,467 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 301% 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: $168 in Carthage versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $650 in Carthage versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carthage but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Carthage 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 Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.