Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Alhambra, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Alhambra, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Alhambra, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,538 in Alhambra, CA.

Mexico City $1,548
Alhambra, CA $3,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $4,726 in Alhambra, CA.

Mexico City $2,436
Alhambra, CA $4,726

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $5,913 in Alhambra, CA.

Mexico City $3,323
Alhambra, CA $5,913

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 56% less than in Alhambra, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Alhambra, CA 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$25.02 $25.02

-55.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$78.7 $78.7

-38.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$15.02 $15.02

-27.43%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.86 $5.86

-37.20%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$3.06 $3.06

-46.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$2.40 $2.40

-47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$7.16 $7.16

-54.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$9.81 $9.81

-43.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.40 $1.40

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.26 $5.26

-42.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$4.64 $4.64

-58.62%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$6.01 $6.01

-54.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$11.61 $11.61

1.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$8.59 $8.59

10.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$19.37 $19.37

-25.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.65 $4.65

-35.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$2.28 $2.28

-17.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$3.98 $3.98

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$5.36 $5.36

-59.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$3.28 $3.28

-41.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$3.17 $3.17

-41.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$1.94 $1.94

-25.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.81 $2.81

-54.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$11.86 $11.86

-55.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$14.93 $14.93

8.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.44 $2.44

-22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.72 $2.72

55.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.71 $1.71

-80.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$110 $110

-82.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.94 $2.94

-31.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.81 $1.81

-71.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$31.75 $31.75

-83.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.48 $1.48

2.70%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$34.8K $34.8K

-36.64%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-6.03%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$287 $287

-78.69%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$77.9 $77.9

-63.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$74.2 $74.2

-53.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$19.90 $19.90

183.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$15.76 $15.76

57.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$19.71 $19.71

-66.21%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,174 $1,174

-63.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-63.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$63.2 $63.2

7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$47.29 $47.29

9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$104 $104

1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$104 $104

7.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$2,263 $2,263

-54.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$1,945 $1,945

-66.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$2,947 $2,947

-21.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$2,507 $2,507

-50.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$7,015 $7,015

-48.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$5,888 $5,888

-67.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$4,895 $4,895

-80.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.31

79.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55% 197% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2% 35.2% $112

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1% 92.7% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1% 5.7% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4% 253% $315

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7% 14.9% $10

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6% 401% $103

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alhambra, CA pays 408% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $79.0 in Alhambra, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $430 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

14:54 2:54 PM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

83,089

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Alhambra, CA 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Alhambra, CA

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

Mexico City vs Alhambra, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Alhambra, CA differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $3,538 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 408% lower in Alhambra, CA. 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Alhambra, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $79.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Alhambra, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Alhambra, CA 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.