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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,113 in Athlone versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,113 in Athlone versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,113 in Athlone versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Athlone is roughly 115% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athlone 132% above, Mexico City 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.24 €17.44

$12.98 MX$223

55.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 €83.9

$52.6 MX$903

85.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 €9.15

$9.43 MX$162

12.73%

Cappuccino

$4.74 €4.09

$3.57 MX$61.3

32.77%

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

$2.52 €2.17

$1.61 MX$27.55

56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.15 MX$19.81

93.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.07

$3.15 MX$54.0

123.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 €5.79

$4.86 MX$83.4

38.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.70 MX$29.17

-19.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.64 MX$45.23

-50.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.90 MX$32.67

-7.37%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.51

$2.54 MX$43.62

60.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 €9.91

$10.08 MX$173

14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 €10.14

$8.29 MX$142

41.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.22 €10.53

$11.57 MX$199

5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.35

$3.03 MX$52.0

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.71 MX$29.35

-13.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.05 MX$35.16

18.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.34

$2.06 MX$35.36

31.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.06 MX$35.43

30.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.17 MX$37.25

-5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.40 MX$24.08

20.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.12 MX$19.26

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.78 €17.91

$4.29 MX$73.7

384.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 €10.06

$15.41 MX$265

-24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.05

$1.67 MX$28.74

111.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 €3.28

$3.69 MX$63.3

2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 €1.62

$0.38 MX$6.55

394.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 €86.4

$19.06 MX$327

425.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.42

$1.38 MX$23.70

271.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 €2.30

$0.28 MX$4.74

853.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.07 €25.04

$5.42 MX$92.9

436.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.28 MX$21.98

55.47%

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

$42.8K €36.8K

$19.0K MX$325.8K

125.27%

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

$39.7K €34.2K

$23.5K MX$402.7K

69.26%

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

$246 €212

$41.02 MX$704

499.12%

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

$22.11 €19.05

$26.92 MX$462

-17.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.99 €40.48

$29.69 MX$510

58.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 €50.9

$52.3 MX$898

12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 €15.17

$26.23 MX$450

-32.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.98 €12.05

$6.18 MX$106

126.21%

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

$1,333 €1,149

$427 MX$7,331

212.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,457 €6,425

$10.7K MX$183.6K

-30.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.3

$56.8 MX$975

78.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.82 €36.03

$44.83 MX$769

-6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €75.0

$105 MX$1,794

-16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 €68.0

$106 MX$1,819

-25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,265

$995 MX$17.1K

47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 €1,516

$621 MX$10.7K

183.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,439 €2,102

$2,126 MX$36.5K

14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 €1,926

$1,254 MX$21.5K

78.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,403 €2,932

$3,903 MX$67.0K

-12.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,529 €3,040

$2,096 MX$36.0K

68.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,827 €3,297

$1,107 MX$19.0K

245.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

11.34

-59.44%

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

Last update for Athlone: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Athlone and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athlone pays 246% 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: $97.0 in Athlone vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $288 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

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

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

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Athlone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athlone pays 246% more on average, 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: $1,469 in Athlone versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,333 in Athlone versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Athlone. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,447 in Mexico City versus $3,113 in Athlone, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Athlone. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,447 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athlone and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Athlone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.