Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Altstätten

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,674 a month against $3,740 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,740

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Mexico City vs $3,740 in Altstätten, rent included.

Mexico City $1,674
Altstätten $3,740

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Mexico City vs $5,258 in Altstätten, rent included.

Mexico City $2,606
Altstätten $5,258

A family of three spends $3,537 per month in Mexico City vs $6,776 in Altstätten, rent included.

Mexico City $3,537
Altstätten $6,776

Mexico City is about 55% cheaper than Altstätten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mexico City and Altstätten sit above the global median – Mexico City by 24%, Altstätten by 177%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$197

$30.38 CHF 24.85

-65.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$964

$121 CHF 99.1

-57.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$199

$18.27 CHF 14.95

-41.27%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.5

$6.23 CHF 5.10

-39.00%

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

$1.61 MX$29.93

$5.40 CHF 4.42

-70.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.49

$4.96 CHF 4.06

-75.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.0

$9.25 CHF 7.56

-65.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$101

$7.50 CHF 6.13

-27.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$31.88

$2.19 CHF 1.79

-21.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.1

$3.63 CHF 2.97

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.74

$3.69 CHF 3.02

-47.70%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.5

$7.92 CHF 6.48

-65.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$217

$26.62 CHF 21.77

-56.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$176

$28.09 CHF 22.98

-66.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$285

$40.58 CHF 33.19

-62.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$57.6

$3.50 CHF 2.86

-11.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.39

$2.05 CHF 1.68

-4.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$36.78

$2.73 CHF 2.24

-27.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.34

$4.81 CHF 3.94

-51.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.56

$1.80 CHF 1.48

12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.86

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.66

$2.43 CHF 1.99

-36.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.35

$1.26 CHF 1.03

3.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$99.3

$10.83 CHF 8.86

-50.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$300

$12.24 CHF 10.01

32.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.36

$2.82 CHF 2.31

-30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$80.8

$3.09 CHF 2.53

40.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.66

$4.32 CHF 3.53

-93.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$362

$99.1 CHF 81.0

-80.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.58

$7.50 CHF 6.13

-74.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.77

$4.18 CHF 3.42

-88.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$100

$72.6 CHF 59.4

-92.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.53

$2.35 CHF 1.92

-37.02%

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

$21.4K MX$396.6K

$42.1K CHF 34.4K

-49.22%

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

$23.8K MX$440.9K

$38.9K CHF 31.8K

-38.97%

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

$62.0 MX$1,151

$256 CHF 209

-75.76%

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

$28.47 MX$528

$30.76 CHF 25.16

-7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$633

$58.5 CHF 47.85

-41.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,084

$75.6 CHF 61.9

-22.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$455

$43.38 CHF 35.48

-43.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$122

$20.89 CHF 17.09

-68.45%

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

$434 MX$8,059

$2,539 CHF 2,077

-82.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$260.5K

$34.3K CHF 28.1K

-59.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,269

$134 CHF 110

-49.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,017

$71.0 CHF 58.0

-22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,057

$165 CHF 135

-32.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,153

$193 CHF 158

-39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$21.9K

$1,720 CHF 1,407

-31.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.3K

$1,812 CHF 1,482

-57.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$47.7K

$2,810 CHF 2,298

-8.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.3K

$2,294 CHF 1,877

-38.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$66.5K

$15.8K CHF 12.9K

-77.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.3K

$11.8K CHF 9,616

-82.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

2.03

459.11%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Altstätten: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Altstätten

$1.8K 48.5% 135% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Altstätten

$591 15.8% 82.7% $267

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Altstätten

$475 12.7% 137% $275

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Altstätten

$254 6.8% 61.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Altstätten

$345 9.2% 177% $220

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Altstätten

$117 3.1% 64.1% $46

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Altstätten

$145 3.9% 479% $120

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Mexico City versus $1,720 in Altstätten. 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 $52 in Mexico City versus $121 in Altstätten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $591 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

23:51 11:51 PM

7 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

11,145

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.818 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.918 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Altstätten 9,750 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Altstätten

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 Altstätten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 123%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,510 per month in Mexico City and $5,610 in Altstätten. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,179 there versus $1,720 in Altstätten.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $3,740 in Altstätten. That makes Mexico City about 55% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Mexico City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,674, than in Altstätten at $3,740. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Mexico City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.