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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $890 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,509 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,128 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 85% more expensive than in Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Samut Prakan is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$3.14 ฿103

285.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$15.51 ฿510

236.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$7.76 ฿255

40.46%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$1.49 ฿48.88

171.81%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.50 ฿16.59

244.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.25 ฿8.16

452.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.03 ฿66.6

70.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$2.82 ฿92.8

106.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.46 ฿47.87

26.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.03 ฿33.89

212.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.09 ฿35.95

91.74%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$1.79 ฿58.9

62.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$12.80 ฿421

-2.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$2.54 ฿83.7

298.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$10.50 ฿345

51.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$1.82 ฿59.8

81.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.03 ฿34.02

106.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$1.75 ฿57.4

25.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$1.35 ฿44.41

81.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.72 ฿56.6

27.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.05 ฿34.47

80.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$0.75 ฿24.63

116.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.43 ฿14.10

213.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$4.47 ฿147

21.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$12.10 ฿398

45.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.53 ฿50.3

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$2.24 ฿73.6

112.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$0.51 ฿16.80

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$30.18 ฿992

-28.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.09 ฿35.96

87.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$1.20 ฿39.32

-51.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$4.01 ฿132

48.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.11 ฿36.56

45.95%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$12.3K ฿403.3K

85.99%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$24.6K ฿808.1K

8.48%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$83.3 ฿2,739

-21.69%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$9.44 ฿310

216.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$17.03 ฿560

114.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$46.30 ฿1,522

31.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$14.46 ฿475

84.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$6.03 ฿198

13.60%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$155 ฿5,082

193.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$6,927 ฿227.8K

93.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$23.18 ฿762

223.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$34.18 ฿1,124

61.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$74.1 ฿2,436

53.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$98.0 ฿3,223

25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$486 ฿16.0K

133.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$290 ฿9,520

145.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,234 ฿40.6K

108.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$827 ฿27.2K

58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$1,962 ฿64.5K

103.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,640 ฿53.9K

27.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

$650 ฿21.4K

60.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

276.67%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $486 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $200 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 85% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $890 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $486 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 40% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $155 in Samut Prakan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $890 in Samut Prakan versus $1,646 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 85% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.