Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Chanthaburi Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Chanthaburi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $879 in Chanthaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,412 in Chanthaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,944 in Chanthaburi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than in Chanthaburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Chanthaburi is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$228

$1.25 ฿41.80

951.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$927

$31.05 ฿1,037

72.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$162

$6.32 ฿211

47.63%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.1

$1.56 ฿52.2

137.18%

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

$1.60 MX$27.80

$0.57 ฿18.87

180.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.37

$0.27 ฿8.99

314.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$1.74 ฿58.1

80.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$84.0

$3.94 ฿132

23.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.65

$1.51 ฿50.5

9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.02

$1.33 ฿44.58

103.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.89 ฿29.65

114.61%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.87

$2.20 ฿73.3

17.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$18.37 ฿614

-46.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.08 ฿103

173.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$207

$9.10 ฿304

31.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.2

$3.44 ฿115

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.15

$1.71 ฿57.0

1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.43

$2.28 ฿76.1

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.69

$1.93 ฿64.4

6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.25

$1.17 ฿38.98

83.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.08

$1.47 ฿49.18

53.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.01

$0.98 ฿32.89

41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.52 ฿17.44

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.1

$4.35 ฿145

-2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$17.83 ฿596

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.62

$1.83 ฿61.3

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$3.31 ฿111

9.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.11

$0.96 ฿32.06

-63.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$335

$31.09 ฿1,038

-37.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$1.06 ฿35.47

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.99 ฿33.14

-71.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.4

$6.04 ฿202

-12.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.53

$1.19 ฿39.76

14.29%

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

$19.1K MX$331.0K

$37.4K ฿1.2M

-48.89%

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

$23.6K MX$409.0K

$25.1K ฿836.9K

-5.79%

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

$40.53 MX$702

$89.6 ฿2,994

-54.78%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$3.76 ฿126

628.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$10.66 ฿356

184.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$905

$48.72 ฿1,627

7.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$459

$12.38 ฿413

113.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$5.62 ฿188

10.14%

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

$425 MX$7,365

$599 ฿20.0K

-28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.0K

$13.4K ฿447.1K

-19.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,010

$7.76 ฿259

651.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$772

$36.76 ฿1,228

21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,793

$70.6 ฿2,356

46.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,884

$21.54 ฿719

404.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.6K

$417 ฿13.9K

143.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$289 ฿9,669

115.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$818 ฿27.3K

158.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$657 ฿21.9K

86.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.7K

$1,777 ฿59.4K

113.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.6K

$1,758 ฿58.7K

20.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.84

94.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chanthaburi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $417 in Chanthaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $31.00 in Chanthaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $253 per month, with Chanthaburi 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

Mexico City vs Chanthaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Chanthaburi differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $879 including rent). Chanthaburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,319 in Chanthaburi 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $417 in Chanthaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chanthaburi runs roughly 61% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $599 in Chanthaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $879 in Chanthaburi versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chanthaburi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Chanthaburi 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, Mexico City and Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.