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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $909 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,490 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,072 in Loei.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 60% more expensive than in Loei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Loei is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$3.04 ฿102

329.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$943

$27.69 ฿932

94.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$170

$6.40 ฿215

51.25%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.6

$2.09 ฿70.2

78.95%

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

$1.62 MX$28.34

$0.68 ฿22.81

138.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.37

$0.35 ฿11.69

231.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.41 ฿81.1

34.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$83.1

$3.63 ฿122

30.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.89

$1.76 ฿59.3

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.30

$1.33 ฿44.78

106.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.87

$1.26 ฿42.30

48.41%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.86

$2.13 ฿71.6

17.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$179

$18.60 ฿626

-45.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$145

$3.06 ฿103

169.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$10.99 ฿370

7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.8

$3.27 ฿110

-7.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.77

$1.27 ฿42.62

42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.07

$1.91 ฿64.2

4.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$35.00

$1.57 ฿53.0

27.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.56

$1.47 ฿49.37

41.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.85

$1.19 ฿40.16

90.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.55

$0.98 ฿33.12

48.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$0.48 ฿16.28

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.3

$4.35 ฿146

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$298

$16.49 ฿555

3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.40

$1.80 ฿60.5

-3.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.7

$2.65 ฿89.2

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.79

$0.94 ฿31.52

-58.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$328

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.25

$1.10 ฿36.95

20.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.91

$1.15 ฿38.66

-75.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$92.1

$6.23 ฿210

-15.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.44

$1.28 ฿43.22

4.69%

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

$19.4K MX$340.5K

$27.6K ฿928.9K

-29.68%

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

$23.8K MX$418.0K

$27.5K ฿925.5K

-13.35%

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

$40.69 MX$714

$76.6 ฿2,577

-46.86%

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

$26.87 MX$471

$13.66 ฿460

96.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$535

$18.24 ฿614

67.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$926

$49.65 ฿1,671

6.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$467

$12.09 ฿407

120.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$7.03 ฿236

-7.40%

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

$428 MX$7,508

$299 ฿10.1K

43.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$184.2K

$9,615 ฿323.6K

9.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,004

$33.41 ฿1,124

71.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$798

$35.25 ฿1,186

29.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,825

$99.9 ฿3,362

4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,891

$71.2 ฿2,395

51.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.6K

$421 ฿14.2K

138.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$287 ฿9,649

117.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$37.0K

$814 ฿27.4K

159.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.4K

$647 ฿21.8K

88.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$68.1K

$1,825 ฿61.4K

112.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.7K

$1,292 ฿43.5K

57.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.2K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Loei: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $421 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 $292 vs $252 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 60% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $909 including rent). Loei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,363 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $421 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $299 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 $909 in Loei versus $1,456 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 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.