Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Alice Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,798 in Alice Springs, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
Learn more

Alice Springs Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Alice Springs

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 Alice Springs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,798 in Alice Springs.

Mexico City $1,548
Alice Springs $1,798

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $2,720 in Alice Springs.

Mexico City $2,436
Alice Springs $2,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $3,641 in Alice Springs.

Mexico City $3,323
Alice Springs $3,641

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 14% less than in Alice Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Alice Springs 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$17.27 A$24.85

-36.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$83.0 A$119

-41.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$10.70 A$15.40

1.87%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$4.28 A$6.16

-14.02%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$2.87 A$4.13

-43.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$2.82 A$4.06

-55.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$6.48 A$9.33

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$9.54 A$13.72

-42.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.43 A$2.05

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.10 A$3.03

43.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.78 A$2.57

7.87%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$5.10 A$7.33

-46.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$10.17 A$14.63

15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$8.29 A$11.94

14.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$14.50 A$20.87

-0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$3.84 A$5.53

-21.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$3.00 A$4.32

-37.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.63 A$3.78

-24.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$6.85 A$9.86

-68.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.49 A$3.58

-22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.28 A$3.28

-17.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.43 A$3.50

-40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.36 A$3.40

-46.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$28.22 A$40.60

-81.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$13.77 A$19.82

17.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$3.22 A$4.64

-40.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$5.59 A$8.04

-24.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$2.79 A$4.02

-87.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

$68.9 A$99.1

-71.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$4.84 A$6.97

-58.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.55 A$2.24

-66.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$27.74 A$39.92

-80.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.35 A$1.94

12.59%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$37.6K A$54.1K

-41.30%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$23.0K A$33.0K

6.72%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$213 A$306

-71.27%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$28.21 A$40.59

1.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$45.86 A$66.0

-24.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$56.9 A$81.9

-0.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$17.95 A$25.83

38.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$13.94 A$20.06

-52.22%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,941 A$2,793

-78.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$20.6K A$29.6K

-43.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$73.1 A$105

-7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$12.03 A$17.31

331.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$138 A$198

-22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$120 A$173

-6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,405 A$2,022

-27.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$518 A$746

26.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,267 A$1,823

82.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$765 A$1,101

62.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$4,502 A$6,478

-19.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$4,696 A$6,757

-58.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$4,301 A$6,189

-77.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.9

91.53%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Alice Springs

$518 28.8% 20.8% $136

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Alice Springs

$365 20.3% 14.8% $47

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Alice Springs

$296 16.5% 45.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Alice Springs

$154 8.6% 1.3% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Alice Springs

$287 15.9% 131% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Alice Springs

$85 4.7% 21.7% $15

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Alice Springs

$93 5.2% 262% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 346% 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 $83.0 in Alice Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $365 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

15 h 30 min ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

24,855

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Alice Springs 14,540 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Alice Springs

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 Alice Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Alice Springs. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 346% lower in Alice Springs. 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 $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Alice Springs. 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 $83.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $1,798 in Alice Springs, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Alice Springs. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,548 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Alice Springs 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 16% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.