Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Alamos, NM and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,060
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $1,643 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $1,643
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $2,227 per month in Los Alamos, NM vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Los Alamos, NM $2,227
Mexico City $3,323

Los Alamos, NM is about 32% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Los Alamos, NM sits 22% below the global median, while Mexico City is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 $16.75

$11.02 MX$204

52.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.58 $39.58

$48.68 MX$900

-18.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$10.90 MX$201

-9.91%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.68 MX$68.1

34.51%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.63 MX$30.18

54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.25 MX$23.07

22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.25 MX$60.1

81.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$5.53 MX$102

24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.70 MX$31.50

-44.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.02 MX$55.8

-28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.92 MX$35.53

140.63%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$2.73 MX$50.5

46.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$11.77 MX$218

1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$9.53 MX$176

2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 $17.91

$14.41 MX$266

24.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.02 MX$55.8

61.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.89 MX$35.01

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.99 MX$36.70

43.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.19 MX$40.38

99.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.92 MX$35.43

-42.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.87 MX$34.49

78.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.44 MX$26.62

42.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.27 MX$23.39

-59.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 $11.00

$5.22 MX$96.4

110.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.17 MX$299

-14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.90 MX$35.03

29.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.22 MX$78.0

-13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.00 MX$36.90

80.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.52 MX$9.67

273.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 $32.32

$5.34 MX$98.7

505.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.52 MX$28.13

-38.16%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

36.02%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

3.29%

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

$156 $156

$61.1 MX$1,129

156.02%

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

$40.31 $40.31

$28.58 MX$528

41.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$34.47 MX$637

110.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$12.88 $12.88

$6.66 MX$123

93.39%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$427 MX$7,891

246.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

115.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.09 $20.09

$67.8 MX$1,253

-70.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$52.0 MX$960

-15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$106 MX$1,959

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$113 MX$2,080

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 $1,101

$1,025 MX$18.9K

7.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,926 $1,926

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-16.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-6.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 $3,369

$1,936 MX$35.8K

74.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,167 $8,167

$964 MX$17.8K

747.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.3

-41.86%

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

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 6.9% $24

Eating Out

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 27.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4%

Mexico City

$124 8% 53.9% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 19.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 170% $44

Getting Around

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 92.4% $12

Accommodation & Living

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0%

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM versus $1,025 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 747% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $342 in Los Alamos, NM vs $318 in Mexico City – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

Same time as Los Alamos, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,179

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Los Alamos, NM Mexico City 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Alamos, NM
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

Los Alamos, NM vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,589 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $2,322 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Alamos, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM and $1,548 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 46%.

Kindergarten costs $1,480 per month in Los Alamos, NM and $427 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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