Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Elizabeth City, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,456
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Elizabeth City, NC $2,456

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $3,522 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Elizabeth City, NC $3,522

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $4,588 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Elizabeth City, NC $4,588

Mexico City is about 37% cheaper than Elizabeth City, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Elizabeth City, NC sit above the global median – Mexico City by 14%, Elizabeth City, NC by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$11.95 $11.95
-7.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$34.93 $34.93
39.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$11.60 $11.60
-6.03%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$5.84 $5.84
-36.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$2.52 $2.52
-35.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$2.04 $2.04
-38.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$6.14 $6.14
-47.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$7.09 $7.09
-22.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$0.95 $0.95
78.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$3.65 $3.65
-17.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$3.00 $3.00
-36.00%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$4.78 $4.78
-42.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$10.81 $10.81
8.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$10.01 $10.01
-4.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$17.49 $17.49
-17.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$4.38 $4.38
-31.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.28 $1.28
47.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$4.39 $4.39
-54.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$4.53 $4.53
-51.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$2.16 $2.16
-11.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$2.21 $2.21
-15.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$2.01 $2.01
-28.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$2.23 $2.23
-43.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$8.86 $8.86
-41.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$14.74 $14.74
9.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$2.12 $2.12
-10.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$2.65 $2.65
59.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$1.81 $1.81
-81.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$2.92 $2.92
-31.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$1.93 $1.93
-73.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$18.19 $18.19
-70.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.00 $1.00
52.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$30.6K $30.6K
-27.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$25.6K $25.6K
-4.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$183 $183
-66.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$56.8 $56.8
-49.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$59.6 $59.6
-42.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$45.64 $45.64
23.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$15.06 $15.06
-55.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$1,491 $1,491
-71.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$24.9K $24.9K
-53.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$54.7 $54.7
24.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$40.11 $40.11
29.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$87.8 $87.8
20.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$143 $143
-21.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$1,584 $1,584
-35.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$1,279 $1,279
-48.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$2,494 $2,494
-7.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$2,164 $2,164
-42.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
$2,870 $2,870
25.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
$2,355 $2,355
-17.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Elizabeth City, NC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.3
6.61
70.95%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Elizabeth City, NC
$1.3K 95.4% $624
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Elizabeth City, NC
$373 17.3% $55
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Elizabeth City, NC
$264 29.3% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Elizabeth City, NC
$146 3.9% $6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Elizabeth City, NC
$299 141% $175
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Elizabeth City, NC
$76 8.7% $6.1
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Elizabeth City, NC
$20 * 22.8% $5.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $318 in Mexico City vs $373 in Elizabeth City, NC – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC
🕒 Local time
21:18 9:18 PM
23:18 11:18 PM
2 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
18,683
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Elizabeth City, NC 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Elizabeth City, NC

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 Elizabeth City, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mexico City and in Elizabeth City, NC compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City, $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Elizabeth City, NC?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $3,685 in Elizabeth City, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mexico City and Elizabeth City, NC?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City and $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Elizabeth City, NC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Elizabeth City, NC at $2,456. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabeth City, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Elizabeth City, NC?
It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,548 in Mexico City to $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Mexico City and Elizabeth City, NC?
If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Elizabeth City, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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