Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,561 a month against $2,773 in Wilmington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,773

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Wilmington, NC versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Wilmington, NC $2,773
Mexico City $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,103 in Wilmington, NC versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Wilmington, NC $4,103
Mexico City $2,440

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,433 in Wilmington, NC versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Wilmington, NC $5,433
Mexico City $3,319

Living in Wilmington, NC is roughly 78% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wilmington, NC 107% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$11.12 MX$204

35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$48.99 MX$900

60.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$11.23 MX$206

-0.27%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$3.76 MX$69.0

48.14%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.65 MX$30.34

57.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.28 MX$23.48

92.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.26 MX$59.8

49.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$5.66 MX$104

24.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.81 MX$33.23

-45.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.94 MX$54.0

37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.05 MX$37.62

193.66%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$2.93 MX$53.7

74.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 $11.52

$11.95 MX$219

-3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.78 $14.78

$9.51 MX$175

55.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.91 $24.91

$14.84 MX$273

67.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.14 MX$57.7

108.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.01 MX$36.99

-10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.08 MX$38.10

234.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.22 MX$40.72

177.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.06 MX$37.82

98.06%

Onion (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$1.88 MX$34.46

223.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.48 MX$27.18

56.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.35 MX$24.70

132.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.07 $8.07

$5.41 MX$99.3

49.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 $14.60

$16.86 MX$310

-13.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.98 MX$36.43

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.32 MX$79.4

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.34 MX$6.33

652.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 $80.4

$20.23 MX$371

297.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.10 MX$38.47

235.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.53 MX$9.74

243.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$99.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.52 MX$27.91

-34.21%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.7K MX$399.0K

66.28%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$24.8K MX$455.6K

2.78%

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

$283 $283

$63.0 MX$1,156

349.50%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$28.88 MX$530

94.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$33.93 MX$623

119.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 $68.3

$55.8 MX$1,024

22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.89 $3.89

$24.90 MX$457

-84.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$6.77 MX$124

118.46%

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

$1,295 $1,295

$428 MX$7,854

202.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K MX$218.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$70.0 MX$1,286

-0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 $42.04

$53.7 MX$986

-21.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$110 MX$2,016

-7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 $71.0

$115 MX$2,115

-38.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$1,062 MX$19.5K

46.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$671 MX$12.3K

87.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 $2,303

$2,379 MX$43.7K

-3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$1,260 MX$23.1K

63.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,811 $2,811

$3,716 MX$68.2K

-24.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 $2,688

$1,976 MX$36.3K

36.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,942 $3,942

$997 MX$18.3K

295.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.3

-41.86%

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

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, NC

$1.3K 45.1%

Mexico City

$671 42.4% 46.6% $584

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$503 18.1%

Mexico City

$327 20.7% 35% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$414 14.9%

Mexico City

$126 8% 69.6% $288

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$280 10.1%

Mexico City

$207 13.1% 26.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$128 4.6%

Mexico City

$157 9.9% 22.8% $29

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$107 3.8%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 75.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$98 3.5%

Mexico City

$69 4.4% 29.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,553 in Wilmington, NC and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilmington, NC pays 295% 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: $79.0 in Wilmington, NC vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $503 vs $327 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

00:48 12:48 AM

2 h behind Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Wilmington, NC Mexico City 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, NC
Mexico City

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

Wilmington, NC vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wilmington, NC and Mexico City differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,773 vs $1,561 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 295% higher in Wilmington, NC, 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: $1,553 in Wilmington, NC versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 298% less than in Wilmington, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,295 in Wilmington, NC versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $2,773 in Wilmington, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Wilmington, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Wilmington, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.