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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $882 in Phetchabun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,456 in Phetchabun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,030 in Phetchabun.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 66% more expensive than Phetchabun, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Phetchabun is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.87 ฿61.2

604.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$27.86 ฿910

93.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.51 ฿212

44.70%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.27 ฿41.37

179.53%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.72 ฿23.47

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.24 ฿7.85

362.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.45 ฿80.0

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.66 ฿120

26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.70 ฿55.5

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.33 ฿43.57

104.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.26 ฿41.10

51.59%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.14 ฿70.0

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$18.70 ฿611

-46.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$2.96 ฿96.6

173.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.58 ฿346

9.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.22 ฿105

-7.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.27 ฿41.36

42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.89 ฿61.7

6.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.51 ฿49.44

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.49 ฿48.60

42.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.21 ฿39.38

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.98 ฿32.06

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.48 ฿15.64

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.45 ฿145

-4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$15.35 ฿501

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.82 ฿59.3

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.75 ฿90.0

30.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.90 ฿29.45

-57.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.09 ฿35.75

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.18 ฿38.55

-76.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.01 ฿196

-9.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.23 ฿40.26

5.69%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$27.9K ฿910.1K

-32.94%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$27.7K ฿904.0K

-16.44%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$77.6 ฿2,533

-47.31%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$13.91 ฿454

92.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$18.85 ฿616

58.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$48.94 ฿1,598

6.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$12.38 ฿404

116.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.89 ฿225

-8.56%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$296 ฿9,668

47.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$9,735 ฿318.0K

7.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$33.96 ฿1,109

66.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.20 ฿1,117

29.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$101 ฿3,303

1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$70.8 ฿2,311

49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$429 ฿14.0K

138.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$281 ฿9,190

124.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$799 ฿26.1K

167.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$646 ฿21.1K

92.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,725 ฿56.4K

126.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,300 ฿42.4K

58.84%

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 Phetchabun: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $429 in Phetchabun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $28.00 in Phetchabun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $247 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 66% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $882 including rent). Phetchabun 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 $1,323 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $429 in Phetchabun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $296 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 $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $882 in Phetchabun versus $1,467 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 66% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.