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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $840 in Rayong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,399 in Rayong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,959 in Rayong.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 77% more expensive than Rayong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Rayong is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$3.17 ฿104

309.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$18.83 ฿616

181.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.32 ฿207

53.80%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.53 ฿82.9

48.22%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.53 ฿17.46

196.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.27 ฿8.73

318.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.82 ฿59.7

74.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.07 ฿100

51.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.84 ฿60.2

-11.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.30 ฿42.58

108.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.20 ฿39.19

56.67%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.27 ฿74.2

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$18.36 ฿600

-45.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$2.15 ฿70.3

285.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$9.42 ฿308

26.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.42 ฿79.3

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.21 ฿39.57

44.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.09 ฿68.4

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.11 ฿36.22

77.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.25 ฿40.75

72.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.26 ฿41.23

73.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.81 ฿26.41

71.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.38 ฿12.49

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.45 ฿145

-5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$16.92 ฿553

-15.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.78 ฿58.2

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.35 ฿110

9.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.93 ฿30.57

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.06 ฿34.53

31.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.18 ฿38.73

-74.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.23 ฿204

-13.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.26 ฿41.07

7.14%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$36.5K ฿1.2M

-48.23%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$29.2K ฿953.4K

-20.60%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$58.1 ฿1,900

-29.75%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$12.82 ฿419

114.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$17.46 ฿571

74.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$69.6 ฿2,276

-23.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$18.73 ฿612

40.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$7.51 ฿246

-16.51%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$597 ฿19.5K

-26.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$9,254 ฿302.6K

13.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$48.39 ฿1,582

17.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$38.86 ฿1,271

15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$75.5 ฿2,468

36.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$59.4 ฿1,942

81.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$418 ฿13.7K

139.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$230 ฿7,518

169.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$800 ฿26.2K

166.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$654 ฿21.4K

88.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,968 ฿64.3K

18.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$778 ฿25.5K

37.11%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rayong: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $418 in Rayong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 37% 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 $286 vs $236 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 77% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $840 including rent). Rayong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 37% 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $418 in Rayong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $597 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 $840 in Rayong versus $1,484 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 77% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.