Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Koh Phan Ghan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Koh Phan Ghan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,071 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,770 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,469 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 57% more expensive than in Koh Phan Ghan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Koh Phan Ghan is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$4.19 ฿138

189.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$29.63 ฿979

81.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$7.81 ฿258

42.00%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$2.55 ฿84.3

60.78%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$0.76 ฿25.04

121.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.41 ฿13.49

239.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.13 ฿70.3

56.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$3.45 ฿114

70.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.76 ฿58.1

5.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.40 ฿46.29

126.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.52 ฿50.4

36.18%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.11 ฿69.9

38.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$18.82 ฿622

-33.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$3.28 ฿108

208.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.77 ฿356

49.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$2.87 ฿94.8

18.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.64 ฿54.1

26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$2.16 ฿71.5

-1.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$1.98 ฿65.5

21.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.47 ฿48.64

44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.29 ฿42.51

55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.09 ฿36.00

42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.56 ฿18.57

142.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$4.15 ฿137

39.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$18.31 ฿605

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.71 ฿56.6

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.78 ฿91.8

65.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$2.03 ฿67.2

-81.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$2.78 ฿92.0

-26.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.98 ฿32.25

-40.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$3.54 ฿117

71.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.34 ฿44.30

15.67%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$24.7K ฿815.7K

-7.35%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$24.6K ฿814.4K

10.49%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$104 ฿3,424

-34.94%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$11.43 ฿378

167.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$17.69 ฿585

110.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$53.0 ฿1,752

15.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$11.02 ฿364

146.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$7.84 ฿259

-9.31%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$571 ฿18.9K

-20.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$11.8K ฿390.4K

15.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$65.4 ฿2,159

13.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$29.41 ฿972

93.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$96.6 ฿3,191

19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$90.6 ฿2,992

34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$513 ฿17.0K

123.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$342 ฿11.3K

107.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,463 ฿48.3K

76.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$846 ฿28.0K

53.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,507 ฿82.8K

59.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,812 ฿59.9K

17.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$732 ฿24.2K

47.89%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $513 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 48% 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 $30.00 in Koh Phan Ghan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $263 per month, with Koh Phan Ghan 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 Koh Phan Ghan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Koh Phan Ghan differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,071 including rent). Koh Phan Ghan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $513 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Mexico City versus $1,071 in Koh Phan Ghan – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,071 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Phan Ghan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Phan Ghan 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 Phan Ghan 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 Phan Ghan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.