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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $1,057 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,760 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,463 in Koh Tao.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 56% more expensive than in Koh Tao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Koh Tao is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.78 ฿124

220.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$27.72 ฿911

88.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$7.49 ฿246

45.53%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$2.44 ฿80.1

65.98%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.75 ฿24.69

129.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.38 ฿12.51

263.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.11 ฿69.3

64.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.17 ฿104

83.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.80 ฿59.2

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.38 ฿45.52

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.51 ฿49.68

38.41%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$2.09 ฿68.7

39.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$18.48 ฿608

-32.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.29 ฿108

207.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$10.69 ฿351

48.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.83 ฿93.2

16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.59 ฿52.2

33.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$2.16 ฿70.9

1.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$2.01 ฿66.0

21.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.44 ฿47.38

52.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.32 ฿43.30

43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.02 ฿33.62

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.51 ฿16.83

164.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.10 ฿135

32.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$17.52 ฿576

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.70 ฿55.9

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.66 ฿87.3

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$2.05 ฿67.3

-83.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$2.70 ฿88.7

-24.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.97 ฿32.01

-40.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$3.60 ฿118

65.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.35 ฿44.27

20.00%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$24.2K ฿795.8K

-5.75%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$24.2K ฿794.8K

10.30%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$102 ฿3,338

-35.74%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$10.98 ฿361

172.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$17.74 ฿583

106.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$55.3 ฿1,817

10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$11.74 ฿386

127.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$7.87 ฿259

-12.96%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$570 ฿18.7K

-20.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$11.5K ฿377.2K

16.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$63.5 ฿2,087

18.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$28.56 ฿939

93.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$97.5 ฿3,205

16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$89.0 ฿2,928

37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$559 ฿18.4K

102.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$364 ฿12.0K

95.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,598 ฿52.6K

60.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$910 ฿29.9K

44.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$2,666 ฿87.7K

49.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,918 ฿63.1K

9.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Koh Tao: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $559 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $259 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,586 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $559 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $570 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 $28.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Koh Tao versus $1,646 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 56% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.