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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $812 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,421 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,030 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Samut Prakan is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.05 ฿99.6

332.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$15.28 ฿499

252.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.72 ฿252

22.02%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.31 ฿42.87

170.99%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.62 ฿20.36

161.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.29 ฿9.62

282.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.84 ฿60.1

69.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.81 ฿124

21.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.43 ฿46.84

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.01 ฿33.04

169.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.12 ฿36.49

70.54%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.80 ฿58.8

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$13.43 ฿439

-25.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$2.83 ฿92.4

185.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.76 ฿351

7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.83 ฿59.9

62.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.75 ฿24.63

141.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.81 ฿59.1

11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.37 ฿44.85

48.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.63 ฿53.3

30.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.10 ฿35.96

106.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.78 ฿25.59

79.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.43 ฿13.92

162.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.76 ฿155

-10.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$12.09 ฿395

28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.51 ฿49.38

16.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.21 ฿72.3

62.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.52 ฿16.89

-26.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$31.10 ฿1,016

-38.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.11 ฿36.26

24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.71 ฿23.16

-60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$5.26 ฿172

3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.29 ฿42.15

0.78%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$12.3K ฿402.5K

51.63%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$21.1K ฿688.9K

9.66%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$73.2 ฿2,390

-44.17%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$10.91 ฿356

145.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$17.11 ฿559

75.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$46.92 ฿1,532

10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$12.05 ฿393

122.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$6.07 ฿198

3.79%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$383 ฿12.5K

13.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$6,856 ฿223.9K

51.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$19.33 ฿631

193.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$34.17 ฿1,116

29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$61.4 ฿2,004

67.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$58.0 ฿1,894

81.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$486 ฿15.9K

110.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$245 ฿8,005

157.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$803 ฿26.2K

166.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$832 ฿27.2K

49.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,755 ฿57.3K

122.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,487 ฿48.6K

38.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$651 ฿21.3K

71.29%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 71% 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 $288 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 81% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $812 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 71% 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: $1,022 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 62% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $383 in Samut Prakan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $812 in Samut Prakan versus $1,467 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 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.