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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,057 in Koh Tao versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Koh Tao versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,463 in Koh Tao versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Koh Tao costs roughly 36% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Tao is 23% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ฿124

$12.11 MX$205

-68.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.72 ฿911

$52.2 MX$883

-46.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 ฿246

$10.90 MX$184

-31.28%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ฿80.1

$4.05 MX$68.5

-39.75%

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

$0.75 ฿24.69

$1.72 MX$29.00

-56.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ฿12.51

$1.38 MX$23.29

-72.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿69.3

$3.47 MX$58.6

-39.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ฿104

$5.81 MX$98.2

-45.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.85 MX$31.33

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ฿45.52

$3.22 MX$54.5

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.68

$2.09 MX$35.25

-27.75%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿68.7

$2.91 MX$49.18

-28.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.48 ฿608

$12.49 MX$211

47.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 ฿108

$10.11 MX$171

-67.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 ฿351

$15.89 MX$269

-32.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿93.2

$3.31 MX$56.0

-14.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.2

$2.13 MX$35.95

-25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ฿70.9

$2.19 MX$37.03

-1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 ฿66.0

$2.45 MX$41.37

-17.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$2.19 MX$37.00

-34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.30

$1.90 MX$32.20

-30.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.62

$1.62 MX$27.31

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.83

$1.35 MX$22.82

-62.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 ฿135

$5.43 MX$91.7

-24.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿576

$17.59 MX$297

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$2.07 MX$34.96

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ฿87.3

$4.75 MX$80.2

-44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 ฿67.3

$0.34 MX$5.75

502.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ฿88.7

$2.04 MX$34.49

32.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ฿32.01

$0.58 MX$9.77

67.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ฿118

$5.97 MX$101

-39.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.27

$1.62 MX$27.31

-16.67%

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

$24.2K ฿795.8K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

6.10%

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

$24.2K ฿794.8K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-9.34%

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

$102 ฿3,338

$65.2 MX$1,103

55.63%

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

$10.98 ฿361

$29.87 MX$505

-63.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.74 ฿583

$36.55 MX$618

-51.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 ฿1,817

$61.0 MX$1,031

-9.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 ฿386

$26.70 MX$451

-56.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 ฿259

$6.85 MX$116

14.89%

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

$570 ฿18.7K

$453 MX$7,664

25.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿377.2K

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-14.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 ฿2,087

$75.0 MX$1,267

-15.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.56 ฿939

$55.3 MX$935

-48.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 ฿3,205

$114 MX$1,920

-14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 ฿2,928

$123 MX$2,073

-27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 ฿18.4K

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ฿12.0K

$712 MX$12.0K

-48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ฿52.6K

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-37.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿29.9K

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-30.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 ฿87.7K

$3,993 MX$67.5K

-33.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿63.1K

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-8.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Koh Tao and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Koh Tao vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $345 per month, with Koh Tao 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 Tao vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,586 in Koh Tao and $2,469 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: $559 in Koh Tao versus $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $570 in Koh Tao versus $453 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 $28.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Koh Tao versus $1,646 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 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.