Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mexico City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,548 per month in Mexico City vs $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Mexico City $1,548
Los Alamos, NM $1,060

A couple spends around $2,436 per month in Mexico City vs $1,643 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Mexico City $2,436
Los Alamos, NM $1,643

A family of three spends $3,323 per month in Mexico City vs $2,227 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Mexico City $3,323
Los Alamos, NM $2,227

Mexico City costs about 46% more than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mexico City sits 14% above the global median, while Los Alamos, NM is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$16.75 $16.75

-34.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$39.58 $39.58

22.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$9.82 $9.82

11.00%

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

$2.52 $2.52

-35.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$1.53 $1.53

-18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$5.91 $5.91

-45.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$6.89 $6.89

-19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$0.95 $0.95

78.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.16 $2.16

39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$4.62 $4.62

-58.44%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.01 $4.01

-31.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$11.89 $11.89

-1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$9.74 $9.74

-2.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$17.91 $17.91

-19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$4.87 $4.87

-37.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.43 $1.43

32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.85 $2.85

-30.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$4.36 $4.36

-49.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.11 $1.11

72.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$3.34 $3.34

-44.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$2.05 $2.05

-29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.52 $0.52

144.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$11.00 $11.00

-52.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$13.84 $13.84

16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$2.46 $2.46

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$3.65 $3.65

15.62%

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

$3.61 $3.61

-44.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$1.94 $1.94

-73.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$32.32 $32.32

-83.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$0.94 $0.94

61.70%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$30.0K $30.0K

-26.48%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

-3.18%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$156 $156

-60.94%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$40.31 $40.31

-29.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$72.5 $72.5

-52.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$12.88 $12.88

-48.29%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$1,480 $1,480

-71.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

-53.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$20.09 $20.09

237.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$43.66 $43.66

19.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$102 $102

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$117 $117

-3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$1,101 $1,101

-6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,926 $1,926

19.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$3,369 $3,369

7.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$3,369 $3,369

-42.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

$8,167 $8,167

-88.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.57

71.99%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3% 7.4% $24

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7% 38.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12% 16.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4% 117% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4% 63% $44

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3% 48% $12

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 $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM. 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 747% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Mexico City versus $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $318 in Mexico City vs $342 in Los Alamos, NM – so Mexico City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

13,179

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Los Alamos, NM 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,322 per month in Mexico City and $1,589 in Los Alamos, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Alamos, NM, 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 $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM. That's a gap of about 46%.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Mexico City and $1,480 in Los Alamos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Mexico City at $1,548. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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