Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,567 a month against $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montgomery, AL and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montgomery, AL and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Montgomery, AL $2,354
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Montgomery, AL versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Montgomery, AL $3,197
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,039 in Montgomery, AL versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Montgomery, AL $4,039
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Montgomery, AL is roughly 50% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montgomery, AL 74% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$10.75 MX$199

49.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$50.3 MX$929

10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 $10.30

$11.10 MX$205

-7.21%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$3.68 MX$68.1

45.65%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.65 MX$30.42

58.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.30 MX$24.08

59.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.32 MX$61.3

31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.54 MX$102

-11.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.77 MX$32.68

-51.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.05 MX$56.4

17.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.01 MX$37.20

1.99%

Eggs

$3.14 $3.14

$2.77 MX$51.1

13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$11.91 MX$220

-33.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$9.33 MX$172

-20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$15.02 MX$278

-4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.08 MX$56.8

29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.95 MX$35.97

-34.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.03 MX$37.54

-3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.21 MX$40.92

88.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.02 MX$37.41

53.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.82 MX$33.67

46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.52 MX$28.07

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.28 MX$23.65

70.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$5.27 MX$97.4

68.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$16.12 MX$298

-6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.95 MX$36.05

-0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.25 MX$78.6

-9.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.31 MX$5.82

558.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 $45.02

$19.85 MX$367

126.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.00 MX$36.93

26.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.53 MX$9.86

201.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.54 $25.54

$5.62 MX$104

354.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.52 MX$28.07

-40.79%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

50.86%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

3.04%

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

$309 $309

$62.5 MX$1,155

394.80%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$28.77 MX$532

76.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$34.45 MX$637

110.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 $37.83

$57.1 MX$1,055

-33.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$24.81 MX$458

14.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$6.67 MX$123

47.08%

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

$1,380 $1,380

$431 MX$7,964

220.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

16.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.94 $48.94

$70.8 MX$1,308

-30.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.52 $35.52

$51.8 MX$958

-31.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$109 MX$2,011

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$112 MX$2,076

-14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$1,051 MX$19.4K

22.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 $1,084

$665 MX$12.3K

63.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-32.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,227 MX$22.7K

18.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,368 $1,368

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-61.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-33.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 $3,632

$975 MX$18.0K

272.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.3

-42.12%

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

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 38.7% $419

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4%

Mexico City

$126 8% 70.9% $307

Groceries & Markets

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7%

Mexico City

$203 13% 26% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 28.7% $34

Getting Around

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 59.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 22.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Montgomery, AL and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montgomery, AL pays 273% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Montgomery, AL vs $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $323, with Montgomery, AL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

12:15 12:15 PM

1 h behind Montgomery, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,603

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Montgomery, AL Mexico City 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Montgomery, AL
Mexico City

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

Montgomery, AL vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montgomery, AL and Mexico City differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $1,567 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 273% higher in Montgomery, AL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 127% less than in Montgomery, AL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,380 in Montgomery, AL versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,567 in Mexico City versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Montgomery, AL. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Montgomery, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.