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: $629 in Carthage versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,053 in Carthage versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,476 in Carthage versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Carthage costs roughly 57% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carthage is 53% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 TND 14.31

$13.07 MX$229

-61.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.25 TND 71.5

$53.8 MX$943

-53.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 TND 14.34

$9.68 MX$170

-47.73%

Cappuccino

$1.07 TND 3.04

$3.74 MX$65.6

-71.39%

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

$0.71 TND 2.02

$1.62 MX$28.34

-56.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 TND 0.73

$1.16 MX$20.37

-77.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 TND 4.88

$3.23 MX$56.6

-46.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 TND 5.59

$4.74 MX$83.1

-58.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 TND 1.32

$1.65 MX$28.89

-71.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 TND 0.55

$2.75 MX$48.30

-92.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 TND 4.83

$1.87 MX$32.87

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.64 TND 4.65

$2.50 MX$43.86

-34.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 TND 30.15

$10.20 MX$179

4.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 TND 17.10

$8.25 MX$145

-26.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 TND 41.19

$11.82 MX$207

23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 TND 5.70

$3.01 MX$52.8

-33.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.40 TND 9.63

$1.81 MX$31.77

87.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 TND 3.19

$2.00 MX$35.07

-44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 TND 2.08

$2.00 MX$35.00

-63.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 TND 2.12

$2.08 MX$36.56

-63.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 TND 1.84

$2.27 MX$39.85

-71.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 TND 1.22

$1.46 MX$25.55

-70.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.81

$1.08 MX$18.88

-73.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 TND 9.71

$4.35 MX$76.3

-21.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 TND 19.51

$16.99 MX$298

-59.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 TND 3.82

$1.73 MX$30.40

-21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 TND 3.56

$3.58 MX$62.7

-64.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 TND 0.92

$0.39 MX$6.79

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.39 TND 20.93

$18.69 MX$328

-60.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.91

$1.33 MX$23.25

-75.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 TND 0.94

$0.28 MX$4.91

17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 TND 9.65

$5.25 MX$92.1

-35.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 TND 2.32

$1.34 MX$23.44

-38.81%

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

$41.4K TND 117.2K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

113.05%

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

$36.0K TND 102.0K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

51.07%

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

$45.15 TND 128

$40.69 MX$714

10.96%

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

$9.42 TND 26.68

$26.87 MX$471

-64.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.30 TND 51.9

$30.51 MX$535

-40.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 TND 107

$52.8 MX$926

-28.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.32 TND 37.74

$26.65 MX$467

-50.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 TND 14.64

$6.51 MX$114

-20.58%

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

$109 TND 309

$428 MX$7,508

-74.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,309 TND 9,377

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-68.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 TND 131

$57.3 MX$1,004

-19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 TND 171

$45.50 MX$798

32.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 TND 276

$104 MX$1,825

-6.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.7 TND 186

$108 MX$1,891

-39.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 TND 475

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-83.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 TND 287

$623 MX$10.9K

-83.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 TND 862

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-85.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 TND 676

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-80.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$957 TND 2,712

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-75.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 TND 1,773

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-69.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$270 TND 764

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-74.03%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $168 in Carthage and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 285% 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: $25.00 in Carthage vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $292 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 132% in total monthly costs ($629 vs $1,456 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 285% lower in Mexico City. 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 $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% 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 $25.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $629 in Carthage versus $1,456 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 132% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.