Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lanta and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lanta and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $967 in Koh Lanta versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,719 in Koh Lanta versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,471 in Koh Lanta versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Koh Lanta costs roughly 34% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Lanta is 28% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ฿127

$13.07 MX$228

-71.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.38 ฿1,223

$53.8 MX$936

-32.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 ฿238

$9.68 MX$169

-26.96%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ฿81.7

$3.74 MX$65.1

-35.03%

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

$0.55 ฿18.38

$1.62 MX$28.13

-66.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.74

$1.16 MX$20.23

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 ฿67.5

$3.23 MX$56.2

-37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ฿102

$4.74 MX$82.5

-35.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ฿68.5

$1.65 MX$28.68

23.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.75 MX$47.95

-38.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.87 MX$32.63

8.02%

Eggs

$2.07 ฿69.7

$2.50 MX$43.54

-17.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 ฿603

$10.20 MX$178

75.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ฿115

$8.25 MX$144

-58.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.79 ฿397

$11.82 MX$206

-0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 ฿97.3

$3.01 MX$52.4

-3.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.97

$1.81 MX$31.54

-19.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 ฿69.4

$2.00 MX$34.81

3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.7

$2.00 MX$34.74

-5.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$2.08 MX$36.30

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.99

$2.27 MX$39.56

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ฿31.63

$1.46 MX$25.36

-35.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.52

$1.08 MX$18.74

-57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ฿132

$4.35 MX$75.7

-9.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.71 ฿562

$16.99 MX$296

-1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.3

$1.73 MX$30.18

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ฿83.8

$3.58 MX$62.3

-30.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ฿36.44

$0.39 MX$6.74

176.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$1.33 MX$23.08

81.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ฿27.07

$0.28 MX$4.87

189.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.31 ฿380

$5.25 MX$91.5

115.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ฿36.04

$1.34 MX$23.27

-20.15%

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

$22.5K ฿755.1K

$19.4K MX$338.0K

15.68%

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

$26.7K ฿897.1K

$23.8K MX$415.0K

11.94%

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

$116 ฿3,904

$40.69 MX$709

185.28%

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

$12.87 ฿433

$26.87 MX$468

-52.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.34 ฿583

$30.51 MX$531

-43.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ฿1,750

$52.8 MX$919

-1.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.33 ฿482

$26.65 MX$464

-46.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿252

$6.51 MX$113

15.21%

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

$617 ฿20.8K

$428 MX$7,454

44.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ฿488.6K

$10.5K MX$182.8K

38.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 ฿1,887

$57.3 MX$997

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.84 ฿1,104

$45.50 MX$792

-27.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ฿3,691

$104 MX$1,812

5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 ฿2,681

$108 MX$1,878

-26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 ฿12.6K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-62.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 ฿8,901

$623 MX$10.8K

-57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 ฿41.5K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-41.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 ฿30.0K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-26.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,098 ฿70.6K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-45.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,518 ฿51.1K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-25.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.34

-53.00%

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

Last update for Koh Lanta: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $375 in Koh Lanta and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Koh Lanta vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $292 per month, with Koh Lanta cheaper across the board.

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

Koh Lanta vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Lanta and Mexico City differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($967 vs $1,456 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,450 in Koh Lanta and $2,185 in Mexico City 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: $375 in Koh Lanta versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $617 in Koh Lanta versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $967 in Koh Lanta versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta 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.

Safety-wise, Koh Lanta and Mexico City 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 Koh Lanta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.