Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,682 per month in Alton vs $1,677 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,939 per month in Alton vs $2,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,195 per month in Alton vs $3,540 in Mexico City, rent included.

Alton costs about 60% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Alton and Mexico City sit above the global median – Alton by 94%, Mexico City by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.89 £19.87

$12.14 MX$206

121.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £79.7

$53.9 MX$914

99.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$11.09 MX$188

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$5.72 £4.23

$4.10 MX$69.5

39.51%

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

$3.09 £2.28

$1.68 MX$28.53

83.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 £1.58

$1.39 MX$23.55

53.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.51 £7.03

$3.33 MX$56.5

185.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 £6.52

$5.88 MX$99.7

50.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.85 MX$31.41

4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 £1.54

$3.17 MX$53.8

-34.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 £1.84

$2.07 MX$35.13

20.29%

Eggs

$3.43 £2.54

$2.93 MX$49.67

17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 £9.54

$12.59 MX$214

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 £8.10

$10.11 MX$172

8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 £13.59

$16.09 MX$273

14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 £2.35

$3.39 MX$57.5

-6.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.05

$2.08 MX$35.26

-31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$2.12 MX$35.97

37.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.41 MX$40.95

39.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.25

$2.13 MX$36.11

-20.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$2.01 MX$34.02

-8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.55 MX$26.21

-1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.37

$1.36 MX$23.15

36.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.67

$5.77 MX$97.8

314.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.91

$17.74 MX$301

-39.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 £1.76

$2.07 MX$35.11

14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.05

$4.61 MX$78.3

-39.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 £2.54

$0.37 MX$6.21

829.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.5

$21.18 MX$359

395.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 £4.26

$2.05 MX$34.84

181.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 £2.54

$0.58 MX$9.79

493.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 £18.25

$6.07 MX$103

306.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 £1.57

$1.55 MX$26.34

37.42%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$22.9K MX$388.1K

72.43%

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

$41.7K £30.8K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

53.03%

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

$373 £276

$67.4 MX$1,144

453.78%

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

$19.00 £14.04

$30.62 MX$520

-37.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.08 £31.10

$37.24 MX$632

13.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.73 £30.11

$61.5 MX$1,043

-33.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 £13.25

$7.11 MX$121

152.04%

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

$2,962 £2,189

$456 MX$7,739

549.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K £27.1K

$13.7K MX$232.3K

168.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 £84.2

$74.2 MX$1,259

53.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 £40.59

$57.0 MX$967

-3.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 £95.3

$115 MX$1,958

11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 £117

$122 MX$2,061

29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 £787

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £766

$709 MX$12.0K

46.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 £1,489

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,901 £1,405

$1,295 MX$22.0K

46.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,034 £3,720

$4,005 MX$67.9K

25.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,650 £2,698

$2,130 MX$36.1K

71.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.61

11.3

-59.20%

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

Last update for Alton: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,065 in Alton versus $1,148 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Alton versus $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $342 in Alton vs $345 in Mexico City – so Alton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,682 in Alton, $1,677 in Mexico City – roughly 60% apart. Alton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,022 per month in Alton and $2,515 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 395% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,962 per month in Alton and $456 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,677, than in Alton at $2,682. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,677 in Mexico City to $2,682 in Alton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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