Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cary, NC and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cary, NC and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Cary, NC versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Cary, NC $2,842
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Cary, NC versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Cary, NC $4,173
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,505 in Cary, NC versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Cary, NC $5,505
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 81% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 111% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 $19.35

$10.75 MX$199

80.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$50.3 MX$929

97.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 $10.42

$11.10 MX$205

-6.13%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$3.68 MX$68.1

37.50%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.65 MX$30.42

23.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.30 MX$24.08

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.32 MX$61.3

35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$5.54 MX$102

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.77 MX$32.68

-41.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.05 MX$56.4

80.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$2.01 MX$37.20

207.46%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.77 MX$51.1

45.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$11.91 MX$220

48.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$9.33 MX$172

78.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$15.02 MX$278

19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$3.08 MX$56.8

102.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.95 MX$35.97

-1.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.03 MX$37.54

84.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$2.21 MX$40.92

212.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.02 MX$37.41

60.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.82 MX$33.67

129.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.52 MX$28.07

95.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.28 MX$23.65

85.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.27 MX$97.4

90.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$16.12 MX$298

-39.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.95 MX$36.05

19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.25 MX$78.6

-4.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.31 MX$5.82

716.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 $78.7

$19.85 MX$367

296.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.52 MX$28.07

-38.82%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

13.83%

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

$179 $179

$62.5 MX$1,155

186.22%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$28.77 MX$532

63.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$34.45 MX$637

96.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$57.1 MX$1,055

36.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 $21.88

$24.81 MX$458

-11.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$6.67 MX$123

128.79%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$431 MX$7,964

237.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$70.8 MX$1,308

-6.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 $32.18

$51.8 MX$958

-37.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$109 MX$2,011

9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$112 MX$2,076

22.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$1,051 MX$19.4K

81.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$665 MX$12.3K

111.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$2,346 MX$43.3K

15.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$1,227 MX$22.7K

76.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 $2,859

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-19.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$1,977 MX$36.5K

33.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,032 $6,032

$975 MX$18.0K

518.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

11.3

-43.19%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 52.7% $742

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 17.1%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 33.7% $164

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$298 10.5%

Mexico City

$203 13% 31.8% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$294 10.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 57.2% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$160 5.6%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 3% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$108 3.8%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 35% $38

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 71% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,904 in Cary, NC and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 519% 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: $99.0 in Cary, NC vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $323 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

2 h behind Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cary, NC Mexico City 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cary, NC vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 519% higher in Cary, NC, 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: $1,904 in Cary, NC versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,455 in Cary, NC versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,842 in Cary, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mexico City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cary, NC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.