Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,363 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,363

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty 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 Almaty and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,363 per month in Almaty vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Almaty $1,363
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Almaty vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Almaty $2,131
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Almaty vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Almaty $2,900
Mexico City $3,323

Almaty is about 12% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Almaty and Mexico City sit above the global median – Almaty by 1%, Mexico City by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 ₸5,899

$11.02 MX$204

18.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₸19.6K

$48.68 MX$900

-10.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ₸3,962

$10.90 MX$201

-19.63%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₸1,501

$3.68 MX$68.1

-9.78%

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

$1.34 ₸607

$1.63 MX$30.18

-17.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸374

$1.25 MX$23.07

-33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₸1,518

$3.25 MX$60.1

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 ₸1,818

$5.53 MX$102

-27.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₸747

$1.70 MX$31.50

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₸421

$3.02 MX$55.8

-69.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ₸927

$1.92 MX$35.53

6.77%

Eggs

$2.46 ₸1,113

$2.73 MX$50.5

-9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ₸5,646

$11.77 MX$218

6.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,035

$9.53 MX$176

-29.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$14.41 MX$266

-24.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₸807

$3.02 MX$55.8

-41.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$1.89 MX$35.01

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 ₸1,299

$1.99 MX$36.70

44.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 ₸1,227

$2.19 MX$40.38

23.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ₸362

$1.92 MX$35.43

-58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸249

$1.87 MX$34.49

-70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$1.44 MX$26.62

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₸453

$1.27 MX$23.39

-21.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$5.22 MX$96.4

-50.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,039

$16.17 MX$299

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₸572

$1.90 MX$35.03

-33.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₸1,120

$4.22 MX$78.0

-41.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₸128

$0.34 MX$6.30

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.05 ₸9,970

$19.65 MX$363

12.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₸607

$2.00 MX$36.90

-33.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.52 MX$9.67

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.04 ₸4,993

$5.34 MX$98.7

106.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.52 MX$28.13

-52.63%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$22.1K MX$408.0K

27.48%

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

$31.8K ₸14.4M

$24.5K MX$452.9K

29.77%

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

$90.5 ₸40.9K

$61.1 MX$1,129

48.22%

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

$10.63 ₸4,805

$28.58 MX$528

-62.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.12 ₸8,190

$34.47 MX$637

-47.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 ₸31.2K

$56.4 MX$1,042

22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 ₸12.2K

$24.88 MX$460

8.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 ₸3,062

$6.66 MX$123

1.65%

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

$444 ₸200.6K

$427 MX$7,891

3.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$11.6K MX$215.0K

2.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 ₸41.5K

$67.8 MX$1,253

35.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 ₸21.6K

$52.0 MX$960

-8.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 ₸63.0K

$106 MX$1,959

31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₸59.4K

$113 MX$2,080

16.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 ₸351.2K

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-24.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$654 MX$12.1K

-24.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 ₸650.4K

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 ₸409.2K

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-27.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₸1.1M

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,517 ₸685.7K

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-21.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$857 ₸387.2K

$964 MX$17.8K

-11.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

11.3

82.74%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$494 36.3%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 32.4% $160

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 27% $68

Eating Out

Almaty

$204 15%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.6%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 17.6% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$119 8.8%

Mexico City

$124 8% 4.1% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 15.6% $13

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 7.5% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Almaty versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $318 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

11:36 11:36 AM

12 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Almaty Mexico City 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,044 per month in Almaty and $2,322 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Almaty and $49.00 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,363 in Almaty and $1,548 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,363, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Almaty. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.