Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlanta, GA and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $3,015 in Atlanta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Atlanta, GA
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Atlanta, GA Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Atlanta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,015 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $3,015
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $4,360 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $4,360
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $5,706 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $5,706
Mexico City $3,333

Atlanta, GA costs about 92% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Atlanta, GA and Mexico City sit above the global median – Atlanta, GA by 123%, Mexico City by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.30 $30.30

$10.75 MX$199

181.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$50.3 MX$929

117.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$11.10 MX$205

7.48%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.68 MX$68.1

52.99%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$1.65 MX$30.42

60.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.30 MX$24.08

56.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$3.32 MX$61.3

113.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$5.54 MX$102

42.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.77 MX$32.68

-53.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.05 MX$56.4

10.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.01 MX$37.20

80.60%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$2.77 MX$51.1

73.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 $13.64

$11.91 MX$220

14.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.69 $14.69

$9.33 MX$172

57.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 $19.15

$15.02 MX$278

27.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.08 MX$56.8

91.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.95 MX$35.97

-25.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.03 MX$37.54

203.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.21 MX$40.92

144.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.02 MX$37.41

82.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.82 MX$33.67

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.52 MX$28.07

42.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.28 MX$23.65

120.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.23 $8.23

$5.27 MX$97.4

56.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.12 MX$298

-7.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.95 MX$36.05

92.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.25 MX$78.6

21.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.31 MX$5.82

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$19.85 MX$367

388.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.00 MX$36.93

80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.53 MX$9.86

173.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.20 $24.20

$5.62 MX$104

330.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.52 MX$28.07

-30.92%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

73.27%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

4.98%

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

$216 $216

$62.5 MX$1,155

245.14%

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

$69.3 $69.3

$28.77 MX$532

140.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 $82.7

$34.45 MX$637

139.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.55 $30.55

$57.1 MX$1,055

-46.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 $15.73

$24.81 MX$458

-36.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 $17.28

$6.67 MX$123

159.07%

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

$1,848 $1,848

$431 MX$7,964

328.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

89.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$70.8 MX$1,308

-25.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 $45.51

$51.8 MX$958

-12.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 $99.0

$109 MX$2,011

-9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$112 MX$2,076

-4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$1,051 MX$19.4K

97.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$665 MX$12.3K

118.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,354 $3,354

$2,346 MX$43.3K

42.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$1,227 MX$22.7K

74.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,904 $3,904

$3,554 MX$65.7K

9.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 $2,616

$1,977 MX$36.5K

32.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,158 $5,158

$975 MX$18.0K

429.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.3

-42.12%

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

Last update for Atlanta, GA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atlanta, GA

$1.5K 48.3%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 54.3% $791

Groceries & Markets

Atlanta, GA

$455 15.1%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 29.1% $132

Eating Out

Atlanta, GA

$416 13.8%

Mexico City

$203 13% 51.2% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlanta, GA

$368 12.2%

Mexico City

$126 8% 65.8% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Atlanta, GA

$137 4.5%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 13% $18

Getting Around

Atlanta, GA

$118 3.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 78.1% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Atlanta, GA

$65 2.2%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 8.2% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,075 in Atlanta, GA versus $1,051 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 429% higher in Atlanta, GA, 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 $109 in Atlanta, GA versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $455 vs $323 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlanta, GA

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

21:03 9:03 PM

2 h behind Atlanta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

510,823

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Atlanta, GA Mexico City 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Atlanta, GA
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

Atlanta, GA vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Atlanta, GA is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,522 per month in Atlanta, GA and $2,351 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.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Atlanta, GA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in Atlanta, GA and $50.0 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,567, than in Atlanta, GA at $3,015. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atlanta, GA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – 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 Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Atlanta, GA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.