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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $889 in Ranong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,536 in Ranong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,184 in Ranong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 65% more expensive than Ranong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.50 ฿147

192.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$45.30 ฿1,480

18.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.60 ฿281

9.53%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$3.02 ฿98.7

17.55%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.69 ฿22.49

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.39 ฿12.80

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$2.47 ฿80.8

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$3.67 ฿120

26.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$2.18 ฿71.3

-22.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.34 ฿43.87

102.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$2.23 ฿72.7

-14.35%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$2.26 ฿73.9

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$19.48 ฿636

-48.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$1.38 ฿45.01

486.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$13.21 ฿431

-12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.25 ฿106

-8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.64 ฿53.5

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$2.29 ฿74.7

-12.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$0.93 ฿30.46

118.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.53 ฿49.84

38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.51 ฿49.31

50.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$1.01 ฿33.11

38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.52 ฿17.09

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$4.29 ฿140

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$19.37 ฿632

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.78 ฿58.3

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.76 ฿90.0

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.95 ฿30.89

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.07 ฿34.80

28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.04 ฿33.81

-73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$13.66 ฿446

-60.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.15 ฿37.58

13.04%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$27.6K ฿900.5K

-32.23%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$33.8K ฿1.1M

-31.52%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$36.92 ฿1,206

10.67%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$13.70 ฿448

95.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$12.51 ฿409

139.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$49.88 ฿1,629

4.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$12.13 ฿396

121.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$8.88 ฿290

-29.05%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$699 ฿22.8K

-37.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$16.1K ฿524.9K

-35.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$27.62 ฿902

105.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$15.26 ฿498

190.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$113 ฿3,705

-9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$37.28 ฿1,217

183.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$426 ฿13.9K

139.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$290 ฿9,463

117.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$829 ฿27.1K

157.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$649 ฿21.2K

91.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,058 ฿67.2K

89.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,399 ฿45.7K

47.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.33

112.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ranong: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $426 in Ranong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $45.00 in Ranong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $269 per month, with Ranong 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 Ranong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Ranong differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $889 including rent). Ranong 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 $1,333 in Ranong 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 $426 in Ranong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $699 in Ranong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ranong – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $889 in Ranong versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ranong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ranong 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 Ranong 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 Ranong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.