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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,096 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,945 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,794 in Koh Phan Ghan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 34% more expensive than Koh Phan Ghan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Koh Phan Ghan is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.22 ฿138

212.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$41.00 ฿1,339

31.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.88 ฿257

19.54%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.76 ฿90.3

28.62%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.61 ฿19.95

165.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.36 ฿11.63

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.25 ฿73.4

38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.35 ฿109

38.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.05 ฿67.0

-17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.75 ฿57.0

55.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$2.08 ฿68.1

-8.17%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.12 ฿69.2

19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$18.91 ฿618

-46.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.60 ฿118

124.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.82 ฿419

-9.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.16 ฿103

-6.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.54 ฿50.4

17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$2.29 ฿74.9

-12.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.91 ฿62.4

6.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.46 ฿47.61

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.43 ฿46.72

58.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.92 ฿29.93

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.49 ฿16.08

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.24 ฿138

0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$18.11 ฿592

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.73 ฿56.6

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.56 ฿83.7

40.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.27 ฿41.41

-70.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.69 ฿87.8

-48.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.87 ฿28.57

-67.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$12.31 ฿402

-55.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.17 ฿38.23

11.11%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$24.7K ฿805.1K

-24.20%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$30.5K ฿997.3K

-24.25%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$122 ฿3,984

-66.50%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.49 ฿441

98.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$18.78 ฿614

59.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$60.1 ฿1,964

-13.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$16.94 ฿553

58.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.15 ฿299

-31.15%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$693 ฿22.6K

-37.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$16.0K ฿522.2K

-34.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$57.9 ฿1,892

-2.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.07 ฿1,113

30.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$116 ฿3,775

-10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$83.4 ฿2,723

26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$425 ฿13.9K

140.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$313 ฿10.2K

101.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,432 ฿46.8K

49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,044 ฿34.1K

19.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,558 ฿83.5K

52.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,826 ฿59.6K

13.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$744 ฿24.3K

49.87%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Koh Phan Ghan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $425 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 50% 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 $41.00 in Koh Phan Ghan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $279 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,096 including rent). Koh Phan Ghan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 50% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $425 in Koh Phan Ghan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,096 in Koh Phan Ghan – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,096 in Koh Phan Ghan versus $1,467 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 34% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.