Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Koh Tao Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Koh Tao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,098 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,952 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,806 in Koh Tao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 33% more expensive than in Koh Tao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Koh Tao is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$4.01 ฿135

225.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$39.97 ฿1,344

34.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.31 ฿246

32.42%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.61 ฿87.6

43.30%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.57 ฿19.31

184.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.33 ฿11.26

251.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.15 ฿72.4

50.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.10 ฿104

52.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.06 ฿69.2

-19.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.73 ฿58.2

58.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$2.15 ฿72.2

-13.02%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.14 ฿72.0

16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$18.36 ฿618

-44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.46 ฿116

138.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$12.41 ฿417

-4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.23 ฿109

-6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.60 ฿53.8

13.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.27 ฿76.2

-11.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.95 ฿65.7

2.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.52 ฿51.0

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.43 ฿48.11

58.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.91 ฿30.61

60.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.50 ฿16.77

116.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.24 ฿143

2.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$17.89 ฿602

-5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.77 ฿59.4

-2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.61 ฿87.9

37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.23 ฿41.38

-68.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$2.74 ฿92.0

-51.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.95 ฿32.06

-70.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$12.72 ฿428

-58.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.19 ฿39.89

12.61%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$25.0K ฿841.6K

-22.43%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$29.7K ฿998.1K

-19.70%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$123 ฿4,146

-66.99%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$13.63 ฿458

97.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$18.36 ฿617

66.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$64.6 ฿2,171

-18.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$17.54 ฿590

51.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$9.27 ฿312

-29.77%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$688 ฿23.1K

-37.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$15.8K ฿532.9K

-33.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$59.7 ฿2,006

-4.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$35.06 ฿1,179

29.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$113 ฿3,792

-7.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$86.3 ฿2,904

24.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$462 ฿15.5K

117.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$327 ฿11.0K

90.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$1,523 ฿51.2K

38.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$1,125 ฿37.8K

8.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,599 ฿87.4K

49.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,899 ฿63.8K

7.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

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 Tao: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $462 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $276 per month, with Koh Tao 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 Tao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Tao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,647 in Koh Tao 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $462 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $688 in Koh Tao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Tao – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,098 in Koh Tao versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Koh Tao but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Tao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Koh Tao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Koh Tao 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 Tao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.