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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,081 in Alberton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,746 in Alberton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,410 in Alberton.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than Alberton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Alberton is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$8.65 R 145

50.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$33.78 R 566

57.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$4.45 R 74.6

118.43%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.05 R 34.38

82.93%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.02 R 17.06

53.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.89 R 14.86

26.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.28 R 38.21

39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.18 R 36.64

113.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.09 R 18.29

48.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.05 R 17.63

158.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.63 R 27.37

15.34%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.09 R 35.09

20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.66 R 128

31.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.52 R 75.9

83.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$5.84 R 98.0

104.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.57 R 26.28

82.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.56 R 26.13

12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.46 R 24.47

42.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.50 R 25.22

31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.18 R 19.78

83.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.17 R 19.68

86.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.10 R 18.42

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.90 R 15.04

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.72 R 45.66

54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$3.04 R 51.0

368.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.22 R 20.51

44.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.25 R 20.90

194.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$2.82 R 47.21

-86.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$111 R 1,862

-83.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.38 R 23.14

0.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.31 R 22.03

-77.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$3.01 R 50.4

80.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.22 R 20.47

10.66%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$19.3K R 323.0K

-1.96%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$25.9K R 434.7K

-10.68%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$124 R 2,076

-67.03%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$37.76 R 633

-27.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$38.82 R 651

-21.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.41 R 627

42.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$13.74 R 230

91.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$5.72 R 95.9

9.62%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$139 R 2,337

212.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$1,697 R 28.5K

516.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$49.47 R 830

14.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.00 R 503

49.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$88.2 R 1,479

16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$89.7 R 1,504

20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$406 R 6,810

146.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$305 R 5,116

103.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$846 R 14.2K

152.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$686 R 11.5K

79.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$729 R 12.2K

430.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$603 R 10.1K

286.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$2,134 R 35.8K

-49.99%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Alberton: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $406 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 100% 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 $286 vs $166 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 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Alberton earns 100% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $406 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% 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 $1,081 in Alberton versus $1,484 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.