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: $1,668 in Mexico City versus $707 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,133 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,557 in Mexico City versus $1,560 in Carthage.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 136% more expensive than in Carthage, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 24% above, Carthage is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 MX$213

$4.68 TND 13.72

157.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 MX$937

$21.87 TND 64.1

141.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 MX$207

$6.00 TND 17.58

94.83%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$68.7

$1.16 TND 3.40

233.62%

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

$1.75 MX$31.05

$0.75 TND 2.21

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$24.74

$0.27 TND 0.79

414.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 MX$59.6

$1.73 TND 5.07

94.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 MX$102

$2.00 TND 5.85

188.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$32.04

$0.53 TND 1.54

241.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 MX$54.7

$0.24 TND 0.70

1183.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.78

$1.71 TND 5.00

24.56%

Eggs

$2.98 MX$52.8

$1.84 TND 5.40

61.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 MX$222

$10.14 TND 29.72

23.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 MX$182

$5.96 TND 17.45

71.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 MX$282

$14.50 TND 42.49

9.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$60.1

$1.34 TND 3.92

152.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 MX$37.37

$3.67 TND 10.76

-42.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.73

$1.17 TND 3.44

82.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 MX$43.77

$0.82 TND 2.41

201.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$36.16

$0.89 TND 2.60

129.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.72

$0.66 TND 1.94

204.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$28.25

$0.50 TND 1.47

218.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.58

$0.34 TND 1.01

291.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.49 MX$97.4

$3.70 TND 10.83

48.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 MX$311

$6.92 TND 20.27

153.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 MX$35.74

$1.32 TND 3.88

52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$84.1

$1.25 TND 3.66

279.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.96

$0.44 TND 1.28

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.07 MX$374

$14.04 TND 41.12

50.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$36.41

$0.31 TND 0.90

561.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 MX$10.79

$0.35 TND 1.03

74.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 MX$101

$1.85 TND 5.41

208.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$28.20

$0.85 TND 2.48

87.06%

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

$22.9K MX$406.1K

$40.0K TND 117.3K

-42.84%

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

$26.4K MX$467.9K

$35.0K TND 102.6K

-24.64%

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

$64.2 MX$1,140

$45.83 TND 134

40.17%

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

$29.42 MX$522

$9.34 TND 27.38

214.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MX$653

$21.00 TND 61.5

75.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.7 MX$1,042

$32.33 TND 94.7

81.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MX$471

$13.49 TND 39.52

96.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.95 MX$123

$5.24 TND 15.36

32.63%

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

$463 MX$8,210

$110 TND 323

319.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$237.1K

$3,256 TND 9,539

310.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.4 MX$1,338

$49.00 TND 144

53.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 MX$962

$65.2 TND 191

-16.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,972

$116 TND 340

-4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,167

$67.3 TND 197

81.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 MX$20.1K

$212 TND 621

434.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 MX$12.4K

$160 TND 469

335.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 MX$43.3K

$215 TND 629

1036.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 MX$23.1K

$271 TND 795

380.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 MX$69.4K

$969 TND 2,840

303.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 MX$36.7K

$619 TND 1,814

234.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.7K

$273 TND 800

285.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.28

9.92%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 21, 2026

Last update for Carthage: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Mexico City and $212 in Carthage. 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $22.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $196 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 136% in total monthly costs ($1,668 vs $707 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 285% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,133 in Mexico City versus $212 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% 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 $22.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $707 in Carthage versus $1,668 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 136% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.