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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,908 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,754 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 37% more expensive than in Koh Phan Ghan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Koh Phan Ghan is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$4.07 ฿137

221.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$42.11 ฿1,414

27.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.60 ฿255

27.37%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$2.63 ฿88.3

42.21%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.62 ฿20.80

161.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.35 ฿11.84

231.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$2.27 ฿76.1

42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$3.26 ฿109

45.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$2.13 ฿71.4

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$1.73 ฿58.0

58.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$2.14 ฿71.7

-12.62%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$2.12 ฿71.3

17.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$18.40 ฿618

-44.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.57 ฿120

131.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$12.48 ฿419

-5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$3.23 ฿108

-6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$1.61 ฿54.2

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$2.29 ฿76.7

-12.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$1.92 ฿64.5

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$1.46 ฿48.91

42.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$1.39 ฿46.53

63.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$0.98 ฿32.75

48.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.49 ฿16.55

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$4.07 ฿137

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$17.94 ฿602

-5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.69 ฿56.7

2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$2.61 ฿87.5

37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$1.28 ฿43.14

-69.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$2.70 ฿90.6

-50.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$0.93 ฿31.26

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$12.52 ฿420

-58.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.23 ฿41.19

8.94%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$24.8K ฿831.8K

-21.66%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$29.7K ฿997.7K

-19.81%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$122 ฿4,087

-66.58%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$13.51 ฿454

98.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$18.67 ฿627

63.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$61.8 ฿2,074

-14.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$17.15 ฿576

55.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$8.66 ฿291

-24.83%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$700 ฿23.5K

-38.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$15.8K ฿531.0K

-33.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$58.9 ฿1,976

-2.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$34.51 ฿1,158

31.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$117 ฿3,925

-11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$84.2 ฿2,825

28.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$438 ฿14.7K

128.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$309 ฿10.4K

101.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$1,438 ฿48.3K

46.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$1,043 ฿35.0K

16.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$2,510 ฿84.3K

54.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$1,776 ฿59.6K

14.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$721 ฿24.2K

43.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.33

112.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $438 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 44% 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 $42.00 in Koh Phan Ghan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $277 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,061 including rent). Koh Phan Ghan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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 $438 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,456 per month in Mexico City versus $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,456 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 37% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.