Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Tao and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Tao: $1,045 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Koh Tao
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Koh Tao Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Koh Tao

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,045

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Koh Tao versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Koh Tao $1,045
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,724 in Koh Tao versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Koh Tao $1,724
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Koh Tao versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Koh Tao $2,404
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 32% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 23% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 ฿130

$11.02 MX$204

-64.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 ฿902

$48.68 MX$900

-44.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ฿250

$10.90 MX$201

-31.28%

Cappuccino

$2.39 ฿79.8

$3.68 MX$68.1

-35.05%

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

$0.76 ฿25.49

$1.63 MX$30.18

-53.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.04

$1.25 MX$23.07

-66.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$3.25 MX$60.1

-34.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿108

$5.53 MX$102

-41.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$1.70 MX$31.50

-7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ฿46.03

$3.02 MX$55.8

-54.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.38

$1.92 MX$35.53

-24.48%

Eggs

$2.08 ฿69.6

$2.73 MX$50.5

-23.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.21 ฿609

$11.77 MX$218

54.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ฿109

$9.53 MX$176

-65.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ฿346

$14.41 MX$266

-28.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 ฿93.5

$3.02 MX$55.8

-7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.89 MX$35.01

-17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.1

$1.99 MX$36.70

10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.19 MX$40.38

-6.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.78

$1.92 MX$35.43

-27.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.08

$1.87 MX$34.49

-32.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ฿35.10

$1.44 MX$26.62

-27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.31

$1.27 MX$23.39

-61.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ฿135

$5.22 MX$96.4

-22.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.60 ฿588

$16.17 MX$299

8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.90 MX$35.03

-11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 ฿88.0

$4.22 MX$78.0

-37.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 ฿67.5

$0.34 MX$6.30

494.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.00 MX$36.90

38.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ฿32.79

$0.52 MX$9.67

88.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ฿113

$5.34 MX$98.7

-36.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿42.56

$1.52 MX$28.13

-16.45%

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

$24.6K ฿821.9K

$22.1K MX$408.0K

11.40%

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

$23.8K ฿796.1K

$24.5K MX$452.9K

-2.81%

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

$96.6 ฿3,229

$61.1 MX$1,129

58.20%

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

$11.21 ฿375

$28.58 MX$528

-60.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 ฿573

$34.47 MX$637

-50.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 ฿1,858

$56.4 MX$1,042

-1.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.50 ฿384

$24.88 MX$460

-53.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$6.66 MX$123

17.42%

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

$566 ฿18.9K

$427 MX$7,891

32.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ฿389.6K

$11.6K MX$215.0K

0.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ฿2,112

$67.8 MX$1,253

-6.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.21 ฿943

$52.0 MX$960

-45.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 ฿3,222

$106 MX$1,959

-9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 ฿2,968

$113 MX$2,080

-21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 ฿18.4K

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-46.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ฿11.7K

$654 MX$12.1K

-46.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 ฿52.9K

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 ฿29.8K

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-28.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 ฿89.7K

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-25.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,889 ฿63.1K

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.3

-50.71%

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

Last update for Koh Tao: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Tao

$351 33.6%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 86.5% $303

Groceries & Markets

Koh Tao

$254 24.3%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 25.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Tao

$125 12%

Mexico City

$124 8% 0.7% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Tao

$124 11.9%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 22.3% $28

Eating Out

Koh Tao

$104 10%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 95.9% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Tao

$71 6.8%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 2.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Koh Tao

$16 * 1.5%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 62.7% $9.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $550 in Koh Tao and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Koh Tao vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $318 per month, with Koh Tao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Tao

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

04:52 4:52 AM

13 h behind Koh Tao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Koh Tao Mexico City 16,130 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Tao
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

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

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,567 in Koh Tao and $2,322 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: $550 in Koh Tao versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $566 in Koh Tao versus $427 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 Tao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,045 in Koh Tao versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao 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, Koh Tao 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 Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.