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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,091 in Alberton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,736 in Alberton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,381 in Alberton.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than Alberton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Alberton is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$8.50 R 137

52.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$34.09 R 551

54.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$4.38 R 70.8

115.30%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.03 R 32.85

75.86%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.06 R 17.06

51.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.86 R 13.98

33.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.18 R 35.30

44.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.29 R 37.03

112.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.08 R 17.51

57.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.01 R 16.38

161.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.63 R 26.40

16.56%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.07 R 33.47

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$7.81 R 126

29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$4.54 R 73.4

82.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$5.78 R 93.4

100.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.50 R 24.22

102.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.60 R 25.87

6.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.47 R 23.70

39.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.56 R 25.26

32.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.17 R 18.95

76.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.22 R 19.77

77.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$1.08 R 17.42

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.83 R 13.43

34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$2.78 R 45.01

54.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$3.00 R 48.49

413.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.18 R 19.04

41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$1.23 R 19.87

200.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$2.81 R 45.45

-86.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$114 R 1,846

-83.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.38 R 22.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.33 R 21.48

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$3.16 R 51.0

71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.26 R 20.37

1.59%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$19.2K R 310.8K

-1.27%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$26.4K R 426.7K

-11.11%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$123 R 1,994

-66.74%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$37.65 R 609

-28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$37.90 R 613

-21.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$37.61 R 608

39.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$13.72 R 222

91.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.63 R 91.1

9.77%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$139 R 2,243

207.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$1,654 R 26.7K

546.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$49.22 R 796

15.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$29.59 R 478

51.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$86.0 R 1,390

21.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$87.4 R 1,412

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$412 R 6,657

141.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$304 R 4,922

104.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$846 R 13.7K

151.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$714 R 11.5K

75.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$886 R 14.3K

340.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$701 R 11.3K

198.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$2,140 R 34.6K

-48.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.69

-2.99%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Alberton: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $412 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Alberton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $165 per month, with Alberton 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

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

Alberton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Alberton earns 93% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $412 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alberton – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,091 in Alberton versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alberton but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Alberton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alberton 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.

Expats usually find Alberton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.