Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,548 a month against $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Alton, IL $1,895

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $2,862 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Alton, IL $2,862

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $3,829 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Alton, IL $3,829

Mexico City is about 18% cheaper than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Mexico City by 14%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$20.77 $20.77

-46.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$55.6 $55.6

-12.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$11.17 $11.17

-2.42%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$4.95 $4.95

-25.66%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$1.46 $1.46

11.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.74 $1.74

-28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$3.89 $3.89

-16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$5.88 $5.88

-5.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.81 $0.81

109.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.59 $2.59

16.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$3.13 $3.13

-38.66%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$3.16 $3.16

-13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$9.32 $9.32

26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$6.74 $6.74

41.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$23.42 $23.42

-38.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.26 $4.26

-29.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.18 $1.18

60.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$5.18 $5.18

-61.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.89 $4.89

-55.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$2.21 $2.21

-13.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$2.74 $2.74

-31.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.10 $2.10

-31.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$2.10 $2.10

-39.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$11.08 $11.08

-52.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$12.05 $12.05

34.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.83 $1.83

3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.67 $2.67

58.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.96 $2.96

-32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.69 $1.69

-69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.98 $0.98

55.10%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

-20.76%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

-5.70%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$331 $331

-81.56%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$43.44 $43.44

-34.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$77.7 $77.7

-55.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$27.07 $27.07

108.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$11.95 $11.95

-44.27%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$279 $279

52.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$40.36 $40.36

67.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$42.75 $42.75

21.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$65.4 $65.4

62.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$76.1 $76.1

47.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$763 $763

34.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$627 $627

4.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,099 $1,099

110.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$1,275 $1,275

-2.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$1,513 $1,513

138.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,455 $1,455

33.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$3,813 $3,813

-74.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

88.33%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Alton, IL

$627 33.1% 4.2% $27

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Alton, IL

$349 18.4% 9.7% $31

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Alton, IL

$303 16% 48.6% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Alton, IL

$101 5.3% 33.6% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Alton, IL

$452 23.9% 264% $328

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Alton, IL

$51 2.7% 26.9% $19

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 55.4% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,025 in Mexico City versus $763 in Alton, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 295% higher in Alton, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $56.0 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $349 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

18:31 6:31 PM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

25,676

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Mexico City Alton, IL 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alton, IL costs about 22% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $2,842 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,548 in Mexico City and $1,895 in Alton, IL. That's a gap of about 22%.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Mexico City and $279 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Alton, IL at $1,895. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mexico City costs $1,548 versus $1,895 in Alton, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alton, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.