Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Atotonilco el Alto Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Atotonilco el Alto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,860 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,565 in Atotonilco el Alto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 29% more expensive than Atotonilco el Alto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Atotonilco el Alto is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$9.66 MX$168

34.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$47.10 MX$819

12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$7.87 MX$137

23.51%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$3.53 MX$61.5

6.23%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$1.30 MX$22.60

20.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.95 MX$16.56

18.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$2.41 MX$41.94

31.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$4.28 MX$74.4

8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.54 MX$26.74

5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$2.65 MX$46.15

2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$1.96 MX$34.18

-4.08%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$2.31 MX$40.14

8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$8.04 MX$140

25.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$9.84 MX$171

-15.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$12.88 MX$224

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$3.55 MX$61.7

-19.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.53 MX$26.69

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.85 MX$32.12

12.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$1.71 MX$29.69

15.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$1.72 MX$29.97

25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$1.84 MX$31.95

18.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$1.30 MX$22.62

6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$1.16 MX$20.21

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$4.30 MX$74.8

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$17.31 MX$301

-17.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.94 MX$33.68

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$3.29 MX$57.3

11.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.65 MX$11.31

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$3.14 MX$54.7

-55.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$1.20 MX$20.86

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$9.16 MX$159

-40.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$1.25 MX$21.68

8.00%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$19.8K MX$344.3K

-4.56%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$20.2K MX$352.3K

14.34%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$62.5 MX$1,087

-34.66%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$24.07 MX$419

14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$28.13 MX$489

8.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$35.80 MX$623

49.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

$16.08 MX$280

63.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$6.07 MX$106

3.29%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$316 MX$5,503

37.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$4,910 MX$85.4K

113.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$51.5 MX$896

10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$42.29 MX$736

5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$98.2 MX$1,709

4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$95.6 MX$1,664

12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$515 MX$8,955

94.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$397 MX$6,901

56.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$914 MX$15.9K

133.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$756 MX$13.1K

63.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$1,865 MX$32.5K

107.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

$1,350 MX$23.5K

72.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.55

-1.82%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Atotonilco el Alto: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $515 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $47.00 in Atotonilco el Alto. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $293, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 Atotonilco el Alto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atotonilco el Alto is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $1,731 in Atotonilco el Alto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $515 in Atotonilco el Alto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $316 in Atotonilco el Alto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atotonilco el Alto – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,154 in Atotonilco el Alto versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Atotonilco el Alto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Atotonilco el Alto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Atotonilco el Alto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Atotonilco el Alto 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 Atotonilco el Alto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.