Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Koh Lanta

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Lanta: $926 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Koh Lanta
Learn more

Koh Lanta Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Koh Lanta

🇹🇭 Thailand

$926

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Koh Lanta

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 Koh Lanta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $926 in Koh Lanta.

Mexico City $1,548
Koh Lanta $926

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,533 in Koh Lanta.

Mexico City $2,436
Koh Lanta $1,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,140 in Koh Lanta.

Mexico City $3,323
Koh Lanta $2,140

Living in Mexico City is roughly 67% more expensive than in Koh Lanta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Koh Lanta is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 MX$204

$3.69 ฿123

198.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 MX$900

$25.60 ฿856

90.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$201

$6.84 ฿229

59.36%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$2.17 ฿72.4

69.59%

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

$1.63 MX$30.18

$0.71 ฿23.88

129.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$23.07

$0.39 ฿13.07

220.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 MX$60.1

$2.05 ฿68.5

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 MX$102

$3.01 ฿101

83.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$31.50

$1.49 ฿49.70

14.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$1.26 ฿42.06

139.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.53

$1.42 ฿47.40

35.21%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$1.90 ฿63.3

43.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$17.56 ฿587

-32.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 MX$176

$3.01 ฿101

216.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

$10.02 ฿335

43.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.69 ฿89.9

12.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.01

$1.53 ฿51.3

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.70

$2.01 ฿67.2

-1.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.38

$1.93 ฿64.4

13.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.43

$1.31 ฿43.84

46.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.49

$1.20 ฿40.12

55.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 MX$26.62

$0.96 ฿32.05

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.39

$0.46 ฿15.52

176.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 MX$96.4

$3.87 ฿129

34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 MX$299

$16.97 ฿567

-4.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

$1.57 ฿52.5

21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 MX$78.0

$2.61 ฿87.3

61.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$6.30

$1.74 ฿58.3

-80.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

$2.44 ฿81.5

-18.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

$0.87 ฿29.02

-40.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

$2.99 ฿100

78.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.13

$1.18 ฿39.53

28.81%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

$21.1K ฿703.8K

4.84%

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

$21.7K ฿723.6K

13.20%

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

$61.1 MX$1,129

$92.0 ฿3,073

-33.58%

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

$28.58 MX$528

$10.61 ฿355

169.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.47 MX$637

$16.26 ฿543

111.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,042

$45.01 ฿1,504

25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

$9.18 ฿307

171.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 MX$123

$6.36 ฿213

4.72%

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

$427 MX$7,891

$505 ฿16.9K

-15.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

$10.5K ฿350.0K

11.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 MX$1,253

$60.3 ฿2,016

12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 MX$960

$26.86 ฿898

93.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,959

$90.5 ฿3,025

17.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MX$2,080

$83.6 ฿2,795

34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 MX$18.9K

$440 ฿14.7K

132.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 MX$12.1K

$280 ฿9,358

133.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 MX$42.7K

$1,258 ฿42.1K

83.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 MX$22.9K

$733 ฿24.5K

69.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,613 MX$66.8K

$2,074 ฿69.3K

74.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,936 MX$35.8K

$1,493 ฿49.9K

29.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Last update for Koh Lanta: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$654 42.3%

Koh Lanta

$280 30.2% 57.2% $374

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$318 20.6%

Koh Lanta

$242 26.1% 24% $77

Eating Out

Mexico City

$204 13.2%

Koh Lanta

$97 10.4% 52.6% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$152 9.8%

Koh Lanta

$118 12.7% 22.8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$124 8%

Koh Lanta

$119 12.8% 4.3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Koh Lanta

$58 6.2% 17.2% $12

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.7%

Koh Lanta

$14 * 1.5% 46.4% $12

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 $1,025 in Mexico City and $440 in Koh Lanta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $26.00 in Koh Lanta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $242 per month, with Koh Lanta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇹🇭 Koh Lanta

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

18:40 6:40 PM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

32,000

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Koh Lanta 16,410 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Koh Lanta

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 Koh Lanta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Koh Lanta differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $926 including rent). Koh Lanta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $1,389 in Koh Lanta 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: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $440 in Koh Lanta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $505 in Koh Lanta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Lanta – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $926 in Koh Lanta versus $1,548 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Lanta but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta 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 Lanta 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.