Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Koh Phangan

For one person, living is cheaper in Koh Phangan: $1,103 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Koh Phangan
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Koh Phangan Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Koh Phangan

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,103

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $1,103 in Koh Phangan.

Mexico City $1,608
Koh Phangan $1,103

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,874 in Koh Phangan.

Mexico City $2,549
Koh Phangan $1,874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $2,646 in Koh Phangan.

Mexico City $3,490
Koh Phangan $2,646

Living in Mexico City is roughly 46% more expensive than in Koh Phangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Koh Phangan is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$199

$3.88 ฿131

173.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$904

$28.98 ฿979

66.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$7.88 ฿266

31.35%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.0

$2.46 ฿83.2

50.00%

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

$1.67 MX$31.14

$0.80 ฿27.06

108.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.65

$0.44 ฿14.90

188.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.7

$2.25 ฿76.0

41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.2

$3.26 ฿110

62.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.23

$1.59 ฿53.6

8.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.8

$1.38 ฿46.60

120.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.44 ฿48.50

34.72%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.0

$2.00 ฿67.4

44.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

$18.46 ฿623

-40.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$173

$3.29 ฿111

181.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$283

$10.67 ฿360

41.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.0

$2.72 ฿91.7

12.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.27

$1.54 ฿52.0

25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.85

$2.07 ฿69.9

-1.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.25

$1.93 ฿65.3

19.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.03

$1.44 ฿48.63

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.63

$1.23 ฿41.67

46.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.64

$1.07 ฿35.99

38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.69

$0.48 ฿16.06

164.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.1

$4.04 ฿136

31.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$301

$17.83 ฿602

-9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.06

$1.70 ฿57.5

16.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.5

$2.65 ฿89.6

60.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.70

$1.32 ฿44.64

-76.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$369

$49.08 ฿1,657

-59.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.34

$2.61 ฿88.3

-29.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.97

$0.96 ฿32.44

-44.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.0

$3.32 ฿112

59.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.23

$1.33 ฿44.99

13.53%

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

$21.8K MX$406.5K

$23.5K ฿795.2K

-7.62%

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

$24.0K MX$448.2K

$23.7K ฿799.5K

1.32%

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

$63.0 MX$1,177

$98.0 ฿3,311

-35.75%

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

$27.39 MX$512

$11.12 ฿376

146.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$666

$16.94 ฿572

110.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,101

$67.7 ฿2,286

-12.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$442

$10.81 ฿365

118.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$7.68 ฿259

-16.67%

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

$432 MX$8,065

$478 ฿16.2K

-9.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$213.5K

$11.6K ฿391.7K

-1.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,275

$62.1 ฿2,098

9.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$993

$28.52 ฿963

86.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,014

$96.0 ฿3,242

12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,191

$86.5 ฿2,922

35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

$498 ฿16.8K

123.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.3K

$348 ฿11.7K

104.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.4K

$1,349 ฿45.6K

91.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.3K

$1,007 ฿34.0K

39.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.8K

$2,927 ฿98.8K

24.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.9K

$2,098 ฿70.9K

1.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.7K

$724 ฿24.4K

30.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.57

103.77%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Koh Phangan

$348 31.6% 51% $363

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Koh Phangan

$254 23.1% 20.4% $65

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Koh Phangan

$107 9.7% 46.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Koh Phangan

$123 11.1% 21.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Koh Phangan

$126 11.4% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Koh Phangan

$83 7.5% 15.8% $11

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Koh Phangan

$62 5.6% 143% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $498 in Koh Phangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 31% 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: $48 in Mexico City vs $29 in Koh Phangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $254 per month, with Koh Phangan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇹🇭 Koh Phangan

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

17:07 5:07 PM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 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 Koh Phangan 16,150 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Koh Phangan

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 Phangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Koh Phangan differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,608 vs $1,103 including rent). Koh Phangan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $498 in Koh Phangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Phangan – a meal for two runs $29 versus $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,608 per month in Mexico City versus $1,103 in Koh Phangan – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Koh Phangan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Koh Phangan wins on affordability, Mexico City on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.