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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $890 in Phetchabun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,477 in Phetchabun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,065 in Phetchabun.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 85% more expensive than in Phetchabun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Phetchabun is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$1.79 ฿59.0

576.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$23.67 ฿778

120.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$6.63 ฿218

64.40%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$1.26 ฿41.26

221.43%

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

$1.72 MX$28.99

$0.74 ฿24.28

132.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.28

$0.24 ฿7.94

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.10 ฿68.9

65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.07 ฿101

89.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.32

$1.89 ฿62.0

-2.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.46 ฿48.06

120.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.24

$1.30 ฿42.82

60.77%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.16

$2.15 ฿70.8

35.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$16.19 ฿532

-22.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$2.88 ฿94.7

251.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$10.77 ฿354

47.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$3.36 ฿110

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.94

$1.07 ฿35.21

99.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.02

$2.21 ฿72.6

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.36

$1.78 ฿58.6

37.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$36.99

$1.50 ฿49.26

46.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.19

$1.23 ฿40.27

54.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.11 ฿36.33

45.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.81

$0.55 ฿17.93

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.37 ฿144

24.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$15.03 ฿494

17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.95

$1.70 ฿55.9

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.85 ฿93.5

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.74

$0.96 ฿31.54

-64.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.48

$1.19 ฿39.06

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.11 ฿36.34

-47.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$3.87 ฿127

54.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.30

$1.44 ฿47.47

12.50%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$24.5K ฿806.9K

-7.08%

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

$26.7K MX$450.6K

$26.9K ฿883.8K

-0.84%

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

$65.2 MX$1,102

$85.1 ฿2,796

-23.29%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$12.79 ฿420

133.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$19.17 ฿630

90.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$48.93 ฿1,608

24.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$14.44 ฿475

84.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.66 ฿219

2.85%

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

$453 MX$7,662

$580 ฿19.1K

-21.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$11.3K ฿372.2K

18.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$51.0 ฿1,675

47.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$934

$30.32 ฿997

82.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$76.6 ฿2,517

48.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$77.9 ฿2,559

57.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$472 ฿15.5K

139.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$291 ฿9,550

145.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.4K

$1,250 ฿41.1K

105.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$701 ฿23.0K

87.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,989 ฿65.4K

100.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,648 ฿54.2K

27.15%

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 Phetchabun: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $472 in Phetchabun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Phetchabun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $246 per month, with Phetchabun 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 Phetchabun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Phetchabun differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $890 including rent). Phetchabun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,334 in Phetchabun 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 $472 in Phetchabun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $580 in Phetchabun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phetchabun – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Phetchabun versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Phetchabun but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Phetchabun 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 Phetchabun 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 Phetchabun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.