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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $634 in Carthage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,054 in Carthage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,475 in Carthage.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 132% more expensive than in Carthage, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Carthage is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.02 TND 14.74

161.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$25.37 TND 74.4

111.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$5.15 TND 15.12

81.17%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.03 TND 3.02

259.22%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.72 TND 2.11

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.26 TND 0.76

330.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.64 TND 4.82

91.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.98 TND 5.80

144.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.46 TND 1.35

258.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.20 TND 0.60

1255.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.65 TND 4.84

15.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.57 TND 4.61

64.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$10.70 TND 31.41

-8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.14 TND 18.02

37.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$14.48 TND 42.49

-17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.11 TND 6.20

39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$3.53 TND 10.34

-50.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.12 TND 3.30

82.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$0.73 TND 2.15

182.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$0.79 TND 2.31

172.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.70 TND 2.06

222.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.43 TND 1.27

223.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.31 TND 0.92

261.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$3.40 TND 9.98

24.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$6.65 TND 19.51

163.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.34 TND 3.93

27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.26 TND 3.69

188.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.35 TND 1.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

$7.40 TND 21.72

161.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$0.29 TND 0.87

375.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$0.33 TND 0.97

-15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$3.43 TND 10.06

53.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$0.87 TND 2.55

56.32%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$40.9K TND 120.2K

-53.35%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$36.3K TND 106.4K

-34.91%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$45.47 TND 133

-10.86%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$9.49 TND 27.85

188.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$19.01 TND 55.8

59.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$37.29 TND 109

40.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

$13.51 TND 39.65

96.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.40 TND 15.84

14.63%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$112 TND 330

278.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$3,247 TND 9,530

230.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$45.32 TND 133

28.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$60.0 TND 176

-25.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$95.2 TND 279

8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$66.2 TND 194

64.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$173 TND 506

487.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$101 TND 298

513.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$305 TND 894

596.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$241 TND 708

407.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$949 TND 2,784

299.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

$639 TND 1,875

230.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

$269 TND 791

290.43%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Carthage: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $173 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 290% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $25.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $197 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 132% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $634 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 290% 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $173 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% 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 $25.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $634 in Carthage versus $1,472 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 132% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.