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: $978 in Koh Lanta versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Koh Lanta versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,497 in Koh Lanta versus $3,199 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 27% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 ฿121

$13.29 MX$231

-71.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 ฿1,163

$53.8 MX$933

-32.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 ฿220

$9.29 MX$161

-26.16%

Cappuccino

$2.47 ฿79.2

$3.61 MX$62.6

-31.58%

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

$0.56 ฿17.94

$1.56 MX$27.03

-64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.23

$1.12 MX$19.46

-74.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 ฿63.5

$3.13 MX$54.3

-36.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿92.8

$4.71 MX$81.7

-38.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿62.4

$1.70 MX$29.54

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ฿54.6

$2.77 MX$48.03

-38.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ฿65.7

$1.96 MX$34.05

4.59%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿64.0

$2.60 MX$45.21

-23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 ฿556

$9.94 MX$173

74.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ฿104

$8.10 MX$141

-60.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 ฿379

$11.50 MX$200

2.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿93.1

$2.87 MX$49.84

1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ฿46.72

$1.73 MX$30.07

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ฿68.5

$2.00 MX$34.73

7.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$2.04 MX$35.38

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.63

$2.08 MX$36.14

-33.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ฿41.36

$2.20 MX$38.12

-41.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ฿27.81

$1.45 MX$25.24

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ฿13.71

$1.07 MX$18.63

-59.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ฿126

$4.27 MX$74.2

-8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.63 ฿565

$14.32 MX$249

23.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ฿53.5

$1.76 MX$30.62

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 ฿78.5

$3.70 MX$64.2

-33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ฿36.53

$0.35 MX$6.12

225.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ฿80.0

$1.34 MX$23.18

85.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.03

$0.28 MX$4.83

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 ฿357

$5.33 MX$92.6

108.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ฿34.55

$1.34 MX$23.27

-19.40%

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

$22.2K ฿711.0K

$19.1K MX$332.0K

15.97%

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

$26.3K ฿842.4K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

10.04%

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

$116 ฿3,725

$39.86 MX$692

191.52%

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

$12.97 ฿416

$26.78 MX$465

-51.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.34 ฿556

$29.36 MX$510

-40.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ฿1,633

$53.4 MX$927

-4.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.15 ฿454

$26.09 MX$453

-45.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 ฿246

$6.40 MX$111

19.69%

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

$630 ฿20.2K

$440 MX$7,647

43.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ฿465.3K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

35.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ฿1,810

$57.6 MX$1,000

-2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.77 ฿1,051

$45.02 MX$781

-27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ฿3,441

$104 MX$1,801

3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ฿2,538

$108 MX$1,874

-26.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 ฿11.7K

$1,013 MX$17.6K

-64.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 ฿8,519

$630 MX$10.9K

-57.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 ฿39.0K

$2,162 MX$37.5K

-43.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿29.1K

$1,222 MX$21.2K

-25.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,234 ฿71.6K

$3,793 MX$65.8K

-41.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 ฿50.8K

$2,332 MX$40.5K

-32.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Koh Lanta and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Koh Lanta vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $285 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 52% in total monthly costs ($978 vs $1,484 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,467 in Koh Lanta and $2,226 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: $364 in Koh Lanta versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $630 in Koh Lanta versus $440 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 $978 in Koh Lanta versus $1,484 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 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.