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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,254 in Alberton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,044 in Alberton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,833 in Alberton.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than in Alberton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Alberton is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$9.41 R 153

26.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$37.58 R 611

37.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$5.02 R 81.6

127.29%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.37 R 38.49

68.35%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.12 R 18.14

48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.84 R 13.67

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.49 R 40.46

39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.45 R 39.82

140.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.18 R 19.24

59.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.11 R 18.00

192.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.87 R 30.41

15.51%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.29 R 37.28

26.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$8.31 R 135

54.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.17 R 84.1

94.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$6.26 R 102

153.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$1.81 R 29.50

81.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.69 R 27.48

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.74 R 28.27

26.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.67 R 27.21

41.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.15 R 18.63

78.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.22 R 19.76

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.25 R 20.25

28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.92 R 15.01

52.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$3.18 R 51.7

71.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$3.04 R 49.38

480.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.34 R 21.82

53.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$1.31 R 21.26

257.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

$3.04 R 49.40

-88.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

$125 R 2,040

-83.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$0.29 R 4.79

624.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.82 R 13.38

-31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$14.94 R 243

-61.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.36 R 22.15

18.38%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$31.4K R 510.0K

-27.19%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$33.5K R 544.5K

-20.13%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$154 R 2,510

-57.78%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$37.99 R 618

-20.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$37.00 R 601

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$40.64 R 661

47.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

$15.58 R 253

70.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.97 R 97.1

17.92%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$153 R 2,494

202.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$1,858 R 30.2K

614.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$53.9 R 876

40.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$32.78 R 533

70.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$95.9 R 1,559

16.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$85.3 R 1,386

41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$450 R 7,307

145.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$366 R 5,946

97.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$941 R 15.3K

168.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$1,001 R 16.3K

29.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$741 R 12.0K

438.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

$623 R 10.1K

235.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

$2,167 R 35.2K

-52.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.34

-0.35%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Alberton: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $450 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Alberton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $181 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 109% lower in Alberton. 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $450 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% 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 $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,254 in Alberton versus $1,660 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 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.