Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Carbondale, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,759 in Carbondale, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Carbondale, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,759 in Carbondale, IL.

Mexico City $1,548
Carbondale, IL $1,759

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,131 in Carbondale, IL.

Mexico City $2,436
Carbondale, IL $2,131

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,503 in Carbondale, IL.

Mexico City $3,323
Carbondale, IL $2,503

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 12% less than in Carbondale, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Carbondale, IL 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$17.85 $17.85

-38.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$38.28 $38.28

27.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$9.16 $9.16

19.00%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.12 $5.12

-28.13%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.29 $2.29

-28.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.94 $1.94

-35.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$4.59 $4.59

-29.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$8.20 $8.20

-32.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.92 $0.92

84.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.10 $3.10

-2.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$4.12 $4.12

-53.40%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$3.71 $3.71

-26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$13.28 $13.28

-11.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$11.47 $11.47

-16.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$18.80 $18.80

-23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.60 $5.60

-46.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.80 $1.80

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$5.92 $5.92

-66.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.91 $4.91

-55.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.62 $1.62

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.40 $2.40

-22.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.64 $2.64

-45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.16 $2.16

-41.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$9.04 $9.04

-42.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$13.13 $13.13

23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.70 $1.70

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$1.60 $1.60

163.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.03 $2.03

-1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.39 $1.39

-62.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$19.64 $19.64

-72.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.03 $1.03

47.57%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

-19.77%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$27.3K $27.3K

-10.18%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$185 $185

-67.04%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$85.5 $85.5

-66.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$75.6 $75.6

-54.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$11.92 $11.92

-44.13%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,702 $1,702

-74.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$24.5K $24.5K

-52.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$46.99 $46.99

44.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$33.23 $33.23

56.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$83.1 $83.1

27.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$150 $150

-25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$656 $656

56.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$554 $554

18.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$994 $994

263.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,003 $1,003

92.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$3,801 $3,801

-74.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.6

71.21%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Carbondale, IL

$554 31.5% 15.3% $100

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.5% 24.5% $78

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Carbondale, IL

$288 16.4% 41.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Carbondale, IL

$141 8% 7.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Carbondale, IL

$346 19.7% 179% $222

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4% 65.8% $46

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5% 65% $17

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 $1,025 in Mexico City and $656 in Carbondale, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 294% 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: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Carbondale, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $396, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

24,881

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Carbondale, IL 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Carbondale, IL

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

Mexico City vs Carbondale, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 294% lower in Carbondale, IL. 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $656 in Carbondale, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Carbondale, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $1,759 in Carbondale, IL – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,759 in Carbondale, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Carbondale, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,548 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Carbondale, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.