Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Alton Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Alton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Mexico City vs $2,484 in Alton, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,342 per month in Mexico City vs $3,798 in Alton, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Mexico City vs $5,113 in Alton, rent included.

Mexico City is about 40% cheaper than Alton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Mexico City and Alton sit above the global median – Mexico City by 10%, Alton by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$26.74 £19.82

-50.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$108 £80.3

-50.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$10.79 £7.99

-13.90%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$5.21 £3.86

-30.71%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$2.73 £2.02

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$1.85 £1.37

-39.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$8.85 £6.56

-64.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$7.96 £5.90

-40.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.70 £1.26

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$2.24 £1.66

23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$2.46 £1.82

-20.33%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$3.57 £2.65

-27.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$11.41 £8.46

-12.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$8.83 £6.54

-8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$14.63 £10.84

-21.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

$3.43 £2.54

-16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$2.01 £1.49

-13.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$3.22 £2.39

-37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.49 £2.59

-41.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$1.74 £1.29

19.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$1.77 £1.31

24.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$1.37 £1.02

5.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.90 £1.41

-43.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$22.73 £16.84

-81.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$10.88 £8.07

31.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

$2.42 £1.80

-27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$2.79 £2.07

32.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

$3.39 £2.51

-89.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

$87.8 £65.1

-78.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$5.40 £4.00

-75.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.92 £1.42

-85.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$41.20 £30.53

-87.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.94 £1.44

-30.93%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

$38.4K £28.4K

-50.15%

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$39.1K £29.0K

-38.93%

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

$39.86 MX$692

$322 £238

-87.61%

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

$26.78 MX$465

$19.67 £14.57

36.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$43.60 £32.31

-32.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$45.11 £33.43

18.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

$20.18 £14.95

-68.29%

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

$440 MX$7,647

$2,499 £1,852

-82.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$28.6K £21.2K

-62.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$118 £87.6

-51.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$49.46 £36.65

-8.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$132 £97.7

-21.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$158 £117

-31.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$1,201 £890

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$1,009 £748

-37.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$2,066 £1,531

4.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$1,689 £1,252

-27.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.05

124.55%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Last update for Alton: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Mexico City versus $1,201 in Alton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Mexico City versus $108 in Alton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $322 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City, $2,484 in Alton – roughly 67% apart. Alton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,226 per month in Mexico City and $3,726 in Alton. 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.

Public transport costs about 358% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Mexico City and $2,499 in Alton. 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 $1,484, than in Alton at $2,484. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,484 in Mexico City to $2,484 in Alton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.