Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Phan Thiet Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Phan Thiet

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $643 in Phan Thiet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,014 in Phan Thiet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,385 in Phan Thiet.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 128% more expensive than Phan Thiet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Phan Thiet is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.63 ₫69.0K

401.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$20.90 ₫549.1K

157.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.73 ₫98.1K

152.55%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.04 ₫27.2K

241.35%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.41 ₫10.9K

295.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.22 ₫5,757

404.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.57 ₫14.9K

447.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.12 ₫29.5K

313.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.28 ₫33.6K

32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.36 ₫9,524

655.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$0.93 ₫24.4K

105.38%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.12 ₫29.5K

126.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$15.25 ₫400.7K

-34.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.18 ₫83.6K

154.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$8.23 ₫216.2K

41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.83 ₫48.2K

62.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.73 ₫19.3K

147.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.31 ₫34.4K

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.99 ₫26.0K

105.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.63 ₫16.5K

236.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.66 ₫17.4K

243.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.61 ₫16.0K

129.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.48 ₫12.6K

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$1.55 ₫40.8K

175.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$9.70 ₫254.7K

60.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.39 ₫10.3K

351.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.40 ₫36.7K

157.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.34 ₫9,016

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$6.52 ₫171.3K

194.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.39 ₫10.3K

253.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.61 ₫16.1K

-54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$2.71 ₫71.2K

101.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.84 ₫22.0K

54.76%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$21.3K ₫558.4M

-12.07%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$40.1K ₫1.1B

-42.29%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$42.86 ₫1.1M

-4.67%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$6.01 ₫157.8K

346.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$9.15 ₫240.5K

227.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$21.27 ₫558.8K

144.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$7.75 ₫203.6K

246.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$2.93 ₫77.0K

115.02%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$288 ₫7.6M

51.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$11.6K ₫305.6M

-10.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$22.81 ₫599.4K

148.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$22.56 ₫592.6K

96.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$38.43 ₫1.0M

167.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$58.0 ₫1.5M

82.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$354 ₫9.3M

188.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$248 ₫6.5M

154.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$697 ₫18.3M

206.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$476 ₫12.5M

161.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$4,165 ₫109.4M

-6.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,398 ₫36.7M

47.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.1

24.62%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phan Thiet: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $354 in Phan Thiet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $21.00 in Phan Thiet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $170 per month, with Phan Thiet 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 Phan Thiet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Phan Thiet differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $643 including rent). Phan Thiet 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 $964 in Phan Thiet 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 $354 in Phan Thiet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phan Thiet runs roughly 194% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $288 in Phan Thiet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $643 in Phan Thiet versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phan Thiet but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Phan Thiet 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 Phan Thiet 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 Phan Thiet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.