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 $2,493 per month in Alton vs $1,447 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,816 per month in Alton vs $2,310 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,140 per month in Alton vs $3,174 in Mexico City, rent included.

Alton costs about 72% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Alton and Mexico City sit above the global median – Alton by 85%, Mexico City by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.01 £20.08

$12.98 MX$223

108.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 £82.3

$52.6 MX$903

110.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 £8.13

$9.43 MX$162

16.01%

Cappuccino

$5.06 £3.76

$3.57 MX$61.3

41.74%

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

$2.76 £2.05

$1.61 MX$27.55

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.15 MX$19.81

61.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.01 £6.70

$3.15 MX$54.0

186.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 £6.08

$4.86 MX$83.4

68.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.70 MX$29.17

1.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 £1.66

$2.64 MX$45.23

-15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 £1.86

$1.90 MX$32.67

31.58%

Eggs

$3.57 £2.66

$2.54 MX$43.62

40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 £8.46

$10.08 MX$173

12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 £6.41

$8.29 MX$142

3.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 £10.84

$11.57 MX$199

26.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 £2.56

$3.03 MX$52.0

13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.71 MX$29.35

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 £2.33

$2.05 MX$35.16

53.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.66

$2.06 MX$35.36

73.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.06 MX$35.43

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$2.17 MX$37.25

-17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.40 MX$24.08

-2.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.12 MX$19.26

76.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.68 £16.86

$4.29 MX$73.7

428.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.96

$15.41 MX$265

-30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 £1.79

$1.67 MX$28.74

44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 £2.07

$3.69 MX$63.3

-24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 £2.44

$0.38 MX$6.55

763.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 £64.6

$19.06 MX$327

355.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 £4.13

$1.38 MX$23.70

302.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 £1.41

$0.28 MX$4.74

575.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.25 £29.93

$5.42 MX$92.9

642.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.28 MX$21.98

51.56%

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

$37.9K £28.2K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

99.86%

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

$39.8K £29.6K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

69.46%

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

$320 £238

$41.02 MX$704

680.45%

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

$20.15 £14.98

$26.92 MX$462

-25.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 £32.45

$29.69 MX$510

46.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.02 £34.22

$52.3 MX$898

-12.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 £14.92

$6.18 MX$106

224.60%

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

$2,523 £1,876

$427 MX$7,331

490.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K £21.2K

$10.7K MX$183.6K

165.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £87.9

$56.8 MX$975

108.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 £35.92

$44.83 MX$769

7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.7

$105 MX$1,794

25.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 £117

$106 MX$1,819

48.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 £922

$995 MX$17.1K

24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 £750

$621 MX$10.7K

62.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 £1,542

$2,126 MX$36.5K

-2.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 £1,252

$1,254 MX$21.5K

34.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,658 £4,206

$3,903 MX$67.0K

44.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

11.34

-55.47%

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

Last update for Alton: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Alton versus $995 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 $111 in Alton versus $53.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $288 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $2,493 in Alton, $1,447 in Mexico City – roughly 72% apart. Alton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,739 per month in Alton and $2,171 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 356% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,523 per month in Alton and $427 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,447, than in Alton at $2,493. 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 $1,447 in Mexico City to $2,493 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.