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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $649 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,061 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,473 in Carthage.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 123% more expensive than Carthage, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Carthage is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$4.98 TND 14.49

160.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$25.65 TND 74.6

104.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$5.06 TND 14.70

91.50%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$1.03 TND 3.00

264.08%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.75 TND 2.19

108.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.26 TND 0.75

346.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.65 TND 4.78

96.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$1.96 TND 5.71

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$0.46 TND 1.34

269.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.21 TND 0.60

1171.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.72 TND 5.01

9.88%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.62 TND 4.72

55.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$10.43 TND 30.33

-3.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$6.00 TND 17.44

42.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$14.36 TND 41.75

-16.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.00 TND 5.81

48.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$3.57 TND 10.39

-49.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$1.18 TND 3.44

69.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$0.74 TND 2.16

164.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$0.80 TND 2.32

170.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$0.66 TND 1.90

243.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.46 TND 1.34

204.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.29 TND 0.83

282.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$3.53 TND 10.27

18.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$7.89 TND 22.94

109.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.27 TND 3.70

32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.24 TND 3.61

189.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.33 TND 0.95

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

$7.31 TND 21.25

162.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.32 TND 0.94

331.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.31 TND 0.90

-3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$3.32 TND 9.64

62.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$0.88 TND 2.56

46.59%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$40.4K TND 117.4K

-53.21%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$35.3K TND 102.6K

-32.57%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$45.61 TND 133

-12.61%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$9.86 TND 28.66

182.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$18.93 TND 55.0

57.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$37.54 TND 109

38.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$13.43 TND 39.04

95.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$5.22 TND 15.17

20.11%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$111 TND 323

288.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$3,346 TND 9,727

214.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$44.56 TND 130

27.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$60.1 TND 175

-24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$94.6 TND 275

7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$65.8 TND 191

64.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$168 TND 490

489.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$102 TND 296

505.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$300 TND 873

594.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$242 TND 702

419.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$857 TND 2,492

359.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$412 TND 1,196

407.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

$272 TND 791

315.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.96

3.47%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Carthage: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $168 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 316% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $198 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

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

Mexico City and Carthage differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $649 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 316% 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: $994 in Mexico City versus $168 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $649 in Carthage versus $1,448 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 123% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.