Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Hat Yai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hat Yai: $731 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
Learn more

Hat Yai Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Hat Yai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Hat Yai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $731 in Hat Yai.

Mexico City $1,567
Hat Yai $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,300 in Hat Yai.

Mexico City $2,450
Hat Yai $1,300

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,870 in Hat Yai.

Mexico City $3,333
Hat Yai $1,870

Living in Mexico City is roughly 115% more expensive than in Hat Yai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Hat Yai is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$2.90 ฿96.9

270.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$43.67 ฿1,460

15.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$3.66 ฿122

203.28%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.88 ฿96.3

27.78%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$1.33 ฿44.34

24.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.56 ฿18.60

132.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$1.80 ฿60.1

84.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.46 ฿116

60.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.45 ฿48.55

22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.25 ฿41.68

144.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$1.24 ฿41.28

62.10%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$2.51 ฿83.9

10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$22.15 ฿740

-46.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$2.24 ฿74.7

316.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$11.19 ฿374

34.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$2.54 ฿84.8

21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.38 ฿46.10

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$1.89 ฿63.3

7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$1.80 ฿60.3

22.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$1.46 ฿48.94

38.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.03 ฿34.38

76.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.07 ฿35.74

42.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.41 ฿13.57

212.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$4.36 ฿146

20.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$15.03 ฿502

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$1.77 ฿59.2

10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$1.99 ฿66.4

113.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

$0.57 ฿18.98

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$1.25 ฿41.71

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$1.13 ฿37.78

-53.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$4.94 ฿165

13.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$1.29 ฿43.15

17.83%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$18.9K ฿630.6K

11.47%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-44.19%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$84.4 ฿2,819

-25.92%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$11.75 ฿393

144.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$9.65 ฿322

256.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$48.45 ฿1,619

17.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$14.10 ฿471

75.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$7.19 ฿240

-7.23%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$562 ฿18.8K

-23.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$10.7K ฿357.3K

9.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$37.54 ฿1,255

88.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$26.26 ฿878

97.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$70.9 ฿2,369

53.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$97.3 ฿3,250

15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$270 ฿9,010

289.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$107 ฿3,576

521.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$729 ฿24.4K

221.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$397 ฿13.3K

208.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$1,915 ฿64.0K

85.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$1,584 ฿52.9K

24.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$452 ฿15.1K

115.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.36

77.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hat Yai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Hat Yai

$107 14.7% 83.9% $558

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Hat Yai

$249 34.1% 22.8% $73

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Hat Yai

$92 12.6% 54.6% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Hat Yai

$104 14.3% 32.5% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Hat Yai

$106 14.5% 15.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Hat Yai

$63 8.6% 10.8% $7.6

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3% 64.4% $17

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 $1,051 in Mexico City and $270 in Hat Yai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 116% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Hat Yai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $249 per month, with Hat Yai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

03:13 3:13 AM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

156,802

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Hat Yai 16,370 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Hat Yai

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

Mexico City vs Hat Yai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hat Yai wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hat Yai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 116% 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: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $270 in Hat Yai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $562 in Hat Yai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hat Yai – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Hat Yai versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hat Yai but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Hat Yai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hat Yai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hat Yai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Hat Yai 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 Hat Yai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.