Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Altos

For one person, living is cheaper in Altos: $249 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Altos

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Altos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $249 in Altos.

Mexico City $1,608
Altos $249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $373 in Altos.

Mexico City $2,549
Altos $373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $497 in Altos.

Mexico City $3,490
Altos $497

Living in Mexico City is roughly 546% more expensive than in Altos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Altos is 82% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$0.48 ₲2,851

258.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$0.91 ₲5,437

234.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$0.98 ₲5,842

97.96%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$1.88 ₲11.2K

53.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$5.98 ₲35.7K

83.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$3.45 ₲20.6K

168.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$5.63 ₲33.6K

168.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$2.38 ₲14.2K

28.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$1.31 ₲7,827

48.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$1.43 ₲8,537

41.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$1.84 ₲11.0K

25.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$1.16 ₲6,931

75.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$1.39 ₲8,296

29.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$1.17 ₲6,969

26.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$0.87 ₲5,166

45.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$0.96 ₲5,729

452.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$8.11 ₲48.4K

98.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$0.73 ₲4,344

171.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$0.84 ₲4,983

405.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$0.39 ₲2,302

-20.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$11.80 ₲70.4K

67.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.71 ₲10.2K

7.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$0.72 ₲4,266

-26.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.12 ₲6,710

34.82%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$19.1K ₲113.9M

13.91%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$23.8K ₲142.2M

0.63%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$34.79 ₲207.5K

81.03%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$7.91 ₲47.2K

246.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$13.81 ₲82.4K

158.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$3.58 ₲21.3K

78.77%

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

$432 MX$8,111

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$25.46 ₲151.9K

167.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$1,480 ₲8.8M

145.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$998 ₲6.0M

113.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$491 ₲2.9M

92.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

13.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Altos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Altos

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Altos

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Altos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Altos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Altos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Altos

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Altos

–

Cost Breakdown

Mexico City pays 93% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇵🇾 Altos

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

06:00 6:00 AM

3 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

4,763

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,656 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Mexico City Altos 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Altos

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 Altos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Altos is about 85% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 93% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Altos runs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $249 in Altos versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Altos but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Altos 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.

It comes down to priorities – Altos wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.