Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Aliso Viejo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 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
194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Aliso Viejo, 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 Aliso Viejo, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Mexico City $1,548
Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Mexico City $2,436
Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Mexico City $3,323
Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 61% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 14% above, Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$24.73 $24.73

-55.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$98.4 $98.4

-50.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$14.32 $14.32

-23.88%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$5.91 $5.91

-37.73%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$3.51 $3.51

-53.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$2.80 $2.80

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$8.22 $8.22

-60.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$9.94 $9.94

-44.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.15 $1.15

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.77 $4.77

-36.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$4.72 $4.72

-59.32%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$5.08 $5.08

-46.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$11.33 $11.33

3.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$16.09 $16.09

-40.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$17.67 $17.67

-18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$5.50 $5.50

-45.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.73 $1.73

9.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$4.68 $4.68

-57.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$6.62 $6.62

-66.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$3.61 $3.61

-46.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.81 $2.81

-33.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.20 $2.20

-34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.43 $2.43

-47.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$11.92 $11.92

-56.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$15.26 $15.26

5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.81 $1.81

4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.11 $3.11

35.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$3.07 $3.07

-88.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$4.47 $4.47

-55.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.91 $1.91

-72.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$32.04 $32.04

-83.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.59 $1.59

-4.40%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-36.91%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$27.0K $27.0K

-9.28%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$212 $212

-71.17%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$71.5 $71.5

-60.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$71.3 $71.3

-51.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$38.84 $38.84

45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$17.19 $17.19

-61.26%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,698 $1,698

-74.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$31.8K $31.8K

-63.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$72.5 $72.5

-6.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$65.1 $65.1

-20.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$116 $116

-8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$169 $169

-33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$2,908 $2,908

-64.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$2,466 $2,466

-73.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$4,191 $4,191

-44.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$4,644 $4,644

-73.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$7,007 $7,007

-48.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$6,500 $6,500

-70.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$7,985 $7,985

-87.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.86

64.72%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2% 277% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5% 43.3% $138

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10% 95.2% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8% 25.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9% 186% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9% 5.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7% 2.7% $0.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 728% 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 $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $456 per month, with Mexico City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🕒 Local time

01:37 1:37 AM

00:37 12:37 AM

1 h behind Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

41,489

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Aliso Viejo, CA 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Aliso Viejo, 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 Aliso Viejo, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Aliso Viejo, CA differ by about 156% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $3,964 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 728% lower in Aliso Viejo, 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 $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,548 per month in Mexico City versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,548 in Mexico City versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Aliso Viejo, 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 Aliso Viejo, 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 156% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.