Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Loei Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Loei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $921 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,503 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,085 in Loei.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than Loei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Loei is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.10 ฿101

325.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$27.56 ฿900

95.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.18 ฿202

52.43%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.10 ฿68.7

69.05%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.72 ฿23.55

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.38 ฿12.34

192.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.41 ฿78.8

29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.80 ฿124

21.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.77 ฿57.7

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.34 ฿43.91

102.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.26 ฿41.22

51.59%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.13 ฿69.5

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$18.74 ฿612

-46.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.11 ฿102

160.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.61 ฿347

9.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.16 ฿103

-6.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.25 ฿40.78

44.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.95 ฿63.6

3.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.58 ฿51.5

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.53 ฿50.0

38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.27 ฿41.35

78.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.03 ฿33.50

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.49 ฿16.00

130.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.48 ฿146

-4.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$13.16 ฿430

18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.74 ฿56.8

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.68 ฿87.5

34.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.95 ฿30.98

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.10 ฿36.07

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.20 ฿39.19

-76.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.05 ฿198

-9.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.23 ฿40.11

5.69%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$28.1K ฿918.4K

-33.55%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$27.1K ฿884.6K

-14.60%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$76.9 ฿2,511

-46.86%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.76 ฿449

94.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$18.77 ฿613

59.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$48.79 ฿1,593

6.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$12.05 ฿394

122.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$7.23 ฿236

-12.86%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$293 ฿9,569

48.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$9,473 ฿309.4K

9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$33.64 ฿1,099

68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.15 ฿1,115

29.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$97.5 ฿3,185

5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$71.3 ฿2,329

47.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$420 ฿13.7K

143.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$288 ฿9,422

118.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$797 ฿26.0K

167.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$660 ฿21.6K

88.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,338 ฿76.3K

66.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,613 ฿52.7K

27.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.45

108.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Loei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $420 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Loei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $245 per month, with Loei 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 Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Loei differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $921 including rent). Loei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,381 in Loei 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 $420 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $293 in Loei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Loei – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $921 in Loei versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Loei but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Loei 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 Loei 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 Loei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.