Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Atotonilco el Alto and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,860 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $2,381 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,565 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $3,278 in Mexico City.

Living in Atotonilco el Alto costs roughly 22% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Atotonilco el Alto is 14% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.66 MX$168

$12.98 MX$226

-25.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 MX$819

$53.1 MX$923

-11.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 MX$137

$9.72 MX$169

-19.03%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$61.5

$3.75 MX$65.2

-5.87%

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

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.57 MX$27.30

-17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$1.13 MX$19.64

-15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$41.94

$3.18 MX$55.3

-24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MX$74.4

$4.66 MX$81.1

-8.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.74

$1.62 MX$28.21

-4.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.15

$2.71 MX$47.09

-2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.18

$1.88 MX$32.70

4.26%

Eggs

$2.31 MX$40.14

$2.51 MX$43.65

-7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 MX$140

$10.08 MX$175

-20.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 MX$171

$8.29 MX$144

18.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 MX$224

$11.94 MX$208

7.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MX$61.7

$2.86 MX$49.77

24.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.69

$1.75 MX$30.45

-12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.12

$2.08 MX$36.27

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.69

$1.97 MX$34.27

-13.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.97

$2.16 MX$37.58

-20.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.95

$2.18 MX$37.94

-15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MX$22.62

$1.39 MX$24.20

-6.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.21

$1.12 MX$19.57

3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.8

$4.20 MX$73.1

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 MX$301

$14.25 MX$248

21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.68

$1.76 MX$30.68

10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$57.3

$3.68 MX$64.1

-10.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.31

$0.39 MX$6.71

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.39 MX$24.12

125.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.86

$0.30 MX$5.29

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.16 MX$159

$5.42 MX$94.3

69.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.68

$1.35 MX$23.50

-7.41%

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

$19.8K MX$344.3K

$18.9K MX$328.6K

4.78%

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

$20.2K MX$352.3K

$23.2K MX$402.8K

-12.54%

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

$62.5 MX$1,087

$40.82 MX$710

53.04%

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

$24.07 MX$419

$27.50 MX$479

-12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.13 MX$489

$30.38 MX$529

-7.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.80 MX$623

$53.4 MX$930

-33.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.08 MX$280

$26.30 MX$458

-38.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MX$106

$6.27 MX$109

-3.19%

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

$316 MX$5,503

$436 MX$7,588

-27.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,910 MX$85.4K

$10.5K MX$182.1K

-53.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 MX$896

$56.8 MX$988

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.29 MX$736

$44.79 MX$779

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 MX$1,709

$103 MX$1,789

-4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 MX$1,664

$108 MX$1,878

-11.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 MX$8,955

$1,000 MX$17.4K

-48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MX$6,901

$620 MX$10.8K

-36.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 MX$15.9K

$2,137 MX$37.2K

-57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 MX$13.1K

$1,235 MX$21.5K

-38.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 MX$32.5K

$3,865 MX$67.3K

-51.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,350 MX$23.5K

$2,332 MX$40.6K

-42.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.34

1.85%

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

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Atotonilco el Alto and $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Atotonilco el Alto vs $53.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $286, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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

Atotonilco el Alto vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,731 in Atotonilco el Alto and $2,225 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,000 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Atotonilco el Alto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Atotonilco el Alto 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 Atotonilco el Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.