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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $833 in Rayong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,415 in Rayong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $1,997 in Rayong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 74% more expensive than Rayong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Rayong is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$3.02 ฿98.3

329.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$18.77 ฿611

180.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.18 ฿201

52.59%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.59 ฿84.4

37.84%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.58 ฿18.75

177.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.27 ฿8.71

325.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$1.84 ฿59.9

71.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.13 ฿102

55.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.88 ฿61.4

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.25 ฿40.74

111.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.25 ฿40.60

52.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.25 ฿73.4

12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$18.39 ฿599

-45.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$2.15 ฿70.2

285.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$9.21 ฿300

25.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$2.51 ฿81.9

20.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.26 ฿41.06

35.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$2.01 ฿65.5

1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.10 ฿35.72

87.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.22 ฿39.58

68.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.26 ฿40.88

72.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.80 ฿26.13

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.42 ฿13.63

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.42 ฿144

-2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$15.18 ฿495

1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.84 ฿60.1

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$3.36 ฿110

9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$0.96 ฿31.24

-60.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$1.06 ฿34.55

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$1.16 ฿37.77

-75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$6.33 ฿206

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.19 ฿38.86

7.56%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$37.4K ฿1.2M

-49.24%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$28.5K ฿928.5K

-17.70%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$57.2 ฿1,863

-28.30%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$12.86 ฿419

109.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$17.15 ฿559

73.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$68.7 ฿2,238

-23.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$18.70 ฿609

40.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$7.91 ฿258

-21.87%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$594 ฿19.3K

-28.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$9,148 ฿297.9K

16.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$48.74 ฿1,588

16.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$38.08 ฿1,240

17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$77.2 ฿2,515

35.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$59.0 ฿1,923

79.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$420 ฿13.7K

136.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$228 ฿7,432

172.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$819 ฿26.7K

159.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$662 ฿21.6K

89.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,988 ฿64.8K

5.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$784 ฿25.5K

41.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.5

106.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Rayong: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $420 in Rayong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Rayong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $233 per month, with Rayong 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 Rayong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Rayong differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $833 including rent). Rayong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 41% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $420 in Rayong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $594 in Rayong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rayong – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $833 in Rayong versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rayong but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Rayong 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 Rayong 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 Rayong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.