Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Chon Buri Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Chon Buri

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $746 in Chon Buri.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,284 in Chon Buri.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,821 in Chon Buri.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than in Chon Buri, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Chon Buri is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.01 ฿67.7

550.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$18.45 ฿620

191.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.12 ฿206

58.17%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.88 ฿63.3

98.94%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.67 ฿22.67

141.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.51 ฿17.16

127.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.87 ฿62.9

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.80 ฿128

24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.41 ฿47.33

17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.40 ฿47.22

96.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.06 ฿35.54

76.42%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.89 ฿63.5

32.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$13.59 ฿457

-24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$1.97 ฿66.2

318.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.96 ฿369

7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.41 ฿80.9

24.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.76 ฿25.49

138.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.88 ฿63.2

6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.57 ฿52.7

27.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.62 ฿54.5

28.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.28 ฿42.89

77.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.75 ฿25.14

94.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.43 ฿14.33

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.58 ฿154

-5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$14.42 ฿485

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.67 ฿56.2

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$3.53 ฿119

1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.96 ฿32.42

-59.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.11 ฿37.30

19.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.72 ฿24.15

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.50 ฿185

-4.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.30 ฿43.76

3.08%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$19.9K ฿670.1K

-2.58%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$21.0K ฿705.2K

13.66%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$73.9 ฿2,485

-44.94%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$13.29 ฿447

102.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$18.13 ฿610

68.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$50.2 ฿1,688

5.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$12.07 ฿406

120.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$3.17 ฿107

105.36%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$138 ฿4,654

209.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$15.8K ฿530.1K

-33.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$19.64 ฿661

191.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$24.76 ฿833

83.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$60.4 ฿2,032

72.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$58.4 ฿1,963

84.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$549 ฿18.5K

82.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$218 ฿7,334

185.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$814 ฿27.4K

158.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$662 ฿22.3K

84.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$791 ฿26.6K

156.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$598 ฿20.1K

73.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.17

83.79%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $549 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Chon Buri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $215 per month, with Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chon Buri wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chon Buri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $549 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $138 in Chon Buri. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chon Buri – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $746 in Chon Buri versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chon Buri but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Chon Buri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chon Buri delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $746 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chon Buri hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Chon Buri 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 Chon Buri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.