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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,105 in Koh Tao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,959 in Koh Tao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,813 in Koh Tao.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.87 ฿127

240.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$38.52 ฿1,259

39.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.53 ฿246

25.10%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$2.62 ฿85.6

35.50%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.58 ฿18.93

179.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.33 ฿10.92

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

$2.08 ฿68.0

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

$3.21 ฿105

44.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$2.10 ฿68.8

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$1.73 ฿56.5

57.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$2.06 ฿67.4

-7.28%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$2.23 ฿72.9

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$18.88 ฿617

-46.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.44 ฿113

135.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$12.67 ฿414

-8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$3.23 ฿106

-8.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.55 ฿50.8

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$2.25 ฿73.6

-10.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$1.99 ฿65.0

2.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$1.46 ฿47.62

45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$1.37 ฿44.88

65.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.99 ฿32.25

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.49 ฿16.13

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$4.21 ฿138

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

$18.20 ฿595

-14.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

$1.73 ฿56.6

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

$2.54 ฿82.9

41.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$1.21 ฿39.72

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$2.82 ฿92.1

-51.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.89 ฿29.08

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$12.24 ฿400

-55.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$1.19 ฿38.80

9.24%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$25.2K ฿822.3K

-25.72%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$30.0K ฿980.6K

-22.89%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$121 ฿3,956

-66.23%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$13.52 ฿442

98.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$18.76 ฿613

59.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$63.5 ฿2,074

-18.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$18.08 ฿591

48.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$9.65 ฿316

-34.72%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$683 ฿22.3K

-36.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$16.0K ฿524.6K

-35.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$59.2 ฿1,935

-4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$34.52 ฿1,128

28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$117 ฿3,814

-11.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$83.3 ฿2,721

26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$464 ฿15.2K

120.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$331 ฿10.8K

90.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$1,557 ฿50.9K

37.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,110 ฿36.3K

11.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

$2,760 ฿90.2K

41.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

$1,997 ฿65.3K

3.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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 Tao: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $464 in Koh Tao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Koh Tao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $279 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 $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,657 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $464 in Koh Tao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $683 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 $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,105 in Koh Tao versus $1,467 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.