Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $801 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,419 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,036 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than in Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Samut Prakan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.11 ฿105

320.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$15.44 ฿519

248.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.73 ฿260

25.23%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.35 ฿45.38

177.04%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.63 ฿21.12

157.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.30 ฿10.05

286.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.87 ฿62.8

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.76 ฿126

26.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.42 ฿47.85

16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.02 ฿34.38

169.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.07 ฿36.12

74.77%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.89 ฿63.5

32.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$13.25 ฿446

-23.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$2.81 ฿94.6

193.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.77 ฿362

9.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$1.89 ฿63.7

59.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$0.78 ฿26.39

132.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.81 ฿60.8

10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.42 ฿47.66

40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.68 ฿56.6

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.06 ฿35.50

114.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.80 ฿26.91

82.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.43 ฿14.43

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$4.68 ฿158

-7.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.79 ฿397

44.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.55 ฿52.1

11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.26 ฿76.0

58.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.53 ฿17.70

-26.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$30.62 ฿1,030

-38.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.05 ฿35.46

26.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.69 ฿23.36

-59.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$5.42 ฿182

-3.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.24 ฿41.74

8.06%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$12.1K ฿407.6K

60.16%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$20.7K ฿696.4K

15.09%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$74.5 ฿2,505

-45.38%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$11.24 ฿378

139.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$17.29 ฿581

76.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$46.01 ฿1,547

14.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$12.13 ฿408

119.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$6.32 ฿213

3.01%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$382 ฿12.9K

11.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$6,913 ฿232.5K

51.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$19.70 ฿663

190.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.42 ฿1,158

32.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$62.4 ฿2,098

66.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$56.8 ฿1,910

89.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$490 ฿16.5K

104.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$242 ฿8,137

157.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$815 ฿27.4K

158.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$853 ฿28.7K

42.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,832 ฿61.6K

112.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,462 ฿49.2K

39.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$645 ฿21.7K

60.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

278.00%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $490 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 61% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $15.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $202 per month, with Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Samut Prakan differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $801 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $490 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Samut Prakan runs roughly 64% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $382 in Samut Prakan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $801 in Samut Prakan versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samut Prakan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.