Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,940 in Cary, NC versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,386 in Cary, NC versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,833 in Cary, NC versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 100% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 119% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 $17.88

$13.18 MX$228

35.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.0 $97.0

$53.9 MX$932

80.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 $10.43

$9.42 MX$163

10.72%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$3.55 MX$61.4

39.72%

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

$2.00 $2.00

$1.62 MX$27.98

23.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.11 MX$19.27

68.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.12 MX$54.0

63.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.63 MX$80.1

44.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.70 MX$29.43

-34.71%

White Bread (500g)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.72 MX$47.02

101.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.91 MX$33.07

228.80%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$2.54 MX$43.86

87.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.23 $20.23

$10.03 MX$174

101.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$8.09 MX$140

54.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 $17.92

$11.62 MX$201

54.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.97 MX$51.3

85.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.81 MX$31.24

-2.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.01 MX$34.82

106.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$2.03 MX$35.20

228.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.12 MX$36.75

17.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.27 MX$39.25

51.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.40 MX$24.22

110.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.13 MX$19.55

75.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$4.27 MX$73.9

119.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$15.56 MX$269

-36.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.76 MX$30.39

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.60 MX$62.2

35.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.38 MX$6.62

376.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$19.18 MX$332

210.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.38 MX$23.79

156.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.28 MX$4.78

467.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 $28.81

$5.45 MX$94.2

428.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.30 MX$22.55

-38.46%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

56.74%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

26.07%

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

$169 $169

$40.86 MX$707

313.71%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$26.81 MX$464

87.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$29.96 MX$518

108.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 $75.3

$52.0 MX$900

44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 $13.58

$6.30 MX$109

115.56%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$436 MX$7,544

241.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

125.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.21 $48.21

$56.7 MX$980

-14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 $31.94

$44.38 MX$768

-28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$103 MX$1,780

24.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$106 MX$1,825

28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$1,022 MX$17.7K

72.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$631 MX$10.9K

150.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$2,136 MX$36.9K

24.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 $2,748

$1,243 MX$21.5K

121.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,862 $2,862

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-26.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,652 $2,652

$2,064 MX$35.7K

28.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,996 $5,996

$1,115 MX$19.3K

437.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

11.34

-44.36%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Cary, NC and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 438% 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: $97.0 in Cary, NC vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $288 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

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

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cary, NC pays 438% more on average, 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: $1,765 in Cary, NC versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,491 in Cary, NC versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $2,940 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 100% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.