Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Ranong

For one person, living is cheaper in Ranong: $976 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,548
/mo nomad
Ranong
🇹🇭 Thailand
$976
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Ranong

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Ranong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Mexico City versus $976 in Ranong.

  • Mexico City $1,548
  • Ranong $976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,436 in Mexico City versus $1,650 in Ranong.

  • Mexico City $2,436
  • Ranong $1,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,323 in Mexico City versus $2,324 in Ranong.

  • Mexico City $3,323
  • Ranong $2,324

Living in Mexico City is roughly 59% more expensive than in Ranong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 14% above, Ranong is 28% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.02 MX$204
$4.36 ฿146
152.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.68 MX$900
$32.07 ฿1,072
51.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.90 MX$201
$8.46 ฿283
28.84%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.1
$2.74 ฿91.5
34.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.18
$0.96 ฿31.98
69.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 MX$23.07
$0.50 ฿16.59
150.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.25 MX$60.1
$2.55 ฿85.3
27.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.53 MX$102
$3.76 ฿126
47.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.50
$1.66 ฿55.5
2.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$1.47 ฿48.98
105.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.53
$1.52 ฿50.6
26.32%
Eggs
$2.73 MX$50.5
$2.20 ฿73.4
24.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 MX$218
$19.67 ฿657
-40.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 MX$176
$3.30 ฿110
188.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 MX$266
$11.09 ฿371
29.94%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 MX$55.8
$2.94 ฿98.3
2.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.01
$1.64 ฿54.9
15.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.70
$2.26 ฿75.7
-11.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 MX$40.38
$2.07 ฿69.2
5.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 MX$35.43
$1.50 ฿50.2
28.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.87 MX$34.49
$1.31 ฿43.78
42.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$1.06 ฿35.35
35.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.39
$0.51 ฿17.01
149.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.22 MX$96.4
$4.46 ฿149
17.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.17 MX$299
$18.42 ฿616
-12.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 MX$35.03
$1.81 ฿60.6
4.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 MX$78.0
$2.75 ฿92.1
53.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 MX$6.30
$0.79 ฿26.38
-56.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.65 MX$363
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$1.21 ฿40.34
65.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.52 MX$9.67
$1.07 ฿35.76
-51.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.34 MX$98.7
$3.81 ฿127
40.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.13
$1.48 ฿49.36
2.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K MX$408.0K
$26.4K ฿883.5K
-16.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$452.9K
$26.4K ฿881.7K
-7.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.1 MX$1,129
$99.5 ฿3,324
-38.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.58 MX$528
$11.07 ฿370
158.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.47 MX$637
$17.26 ฿577
99.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,042
$43.35 ฿1,449
30.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.88 MX$460
$12.40 ฿414
100.65%
Cinema Ticket
$6.66 MX$123
$7.65 ฿256
-12.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$427 MX$7,891
$548 ฿18.3K
-22.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K MX$215.0K
$11.4K ฿382.5K
1.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 MX$1,253
$64.3 ฿2,147
5.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 MX$960
$28.31 ฿946
83.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 MX$1,959
$95.8 ฿3,203
10.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 MX$2,080
$89.6 ฿2,993
25.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 MX$18.9K
$467 ฿15.6K
119.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 MX$12.1K
$268 ฿8,954
144.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,308 MX$42.7K
$1,081 ฿36.1K
113.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 MX$22.9K
$762 ฿25.5K
63.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,613 MX$66.8K
$1,902 ฿63.6K
89.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,936 MX$35.8K
$1,616 ฿54.0K
19.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mexico City
Ranong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$964 MX$17.8K
-
-
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: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ranong: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mexico City
$654
Ranong
$268 59% $386
Groceries & Markets
Mexico City
$318
Ranong
$268 15.8% $50
Eating Out
Mexico City
$204
Ranong
$119 41.5% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Mexico City
$152
Ranong
$125 17.8% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mexico City
$124
Ranong
$128 3% $3.7
Sport & Entertainment
Mexico City
$70
Ranong
$59 15.9% $11
Getting Around
Mexico City
$26
Ranong
$9.7 * 62.1% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Mexico City and $467 in Ranong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Mexico City vs $32.00 in Ranong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $268 per month, with Ranong cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🇹🇭 Ranong
🕒 Local time
09:01 9:01 AM
22:01 10:01 PM
13 h ahead of Mexico City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,209,944 Capital
16,163
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mexico City Ranong 16,210 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mexico City
  • Ranong

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Mexico City and in Ranong?
Mexico City and Ranong differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,548 vs $976 including rent). Ranong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Mexico City compared to Ranong?
You'd need roughly $2,322 in Mexico City and $1,464 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Mexico City and in Ranong?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,025 in Mexico City versus $467 in Ranong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Mexico City and Ranong?
Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $548 in Ranong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Ranong – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $976 in Ranong versus $1,548 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.
How does quality of life compare between Mexico City and Ranong?
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.
Is Mexico City or Ranong safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Mexico City or Ranong?
Expats usually find Ranong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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