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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $788 in Saraburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,456 in Saraburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,123 in Saraburi.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than Saraburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Saraburi is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$230

$3.14 ฿103

319.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$941

$27.67 ฿908

94.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$165

$6.83 ฿224

37.92%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$62.0

$2.36 ฿77.4

50.42%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.67 ฿21.98

141.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.46

$0.27 ฿8.94

311.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.5

$1.99 ฿65.2

56.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.9

$3.30 ฿108

40.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.71

$1.58 ฿51.9

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.47

$1.11 ฿36.44

145.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.39

$1.32 ฿43.36

44.70%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.13 ฿70.0

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$175

$18.20 ฿597

-44.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$141

$3.00 ฿98.5

169.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$203

$10.83 ฿355

7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.8

$5.16 ฿169

-42.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.55

$1.84 ฿60.4

-1.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.94 ฿63.8

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.54

$1.52 ฿49.78

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.10

$1.52 ฿49.71

39.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.63

$1.26 ฿41.26

80.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.45

$0.98 ฿32.02

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.74

$0.51 ฿16.75

121.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.6

$4.43 ฿145

-3.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$272

$21.22 ฿696

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.81 ฿59.4

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.8

$2.68 ฿88.0

34.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.69

$0.91 ฿29.80

-58.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$335

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.10 ฿36.11

25.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

$1.16 ฿38.01

-75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$95.1

$6.28 ฿206

-13.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$1.25 ฿40.97

4.00%

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

$18.7K MX$326.4K

$27.8K ฿913.2K

-32.86%

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

$23.1K MX$404.0K

$27.4K ฿897.8K

-15.48%

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

$40.86 MX$714

$77.7 ฿2,549

-47.40%

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

$26.81 MX$468

$13.60 ฿446

97.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$523

$17.47 ฿573

71.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$908

$48.35 ฿1,586

7.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$469

$12.25 ฿402

119.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$110

$7.14 ฿234

-11.76%

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

$436 MX$7,617

$302 ฿9,921

44.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$181.9K

$6,967 ฿228.6K

49.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$989

$33.40 ฿1,096

69.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$775

$34.89 ฿1,145

27.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,798

$98.7 ฿3,239

4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,843

$69.5 ฿2,279

51.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.8K

$415 ฿13.6K

146.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$11.0K

$128 ฿4,213

391.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.3K

$811 ฿26.6K

163.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.7K

$661 ฿21.7K

87.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$1,753 ฿57.5K

122.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$36.1K

$1,315 ฿43.2K

56.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.5K

$455 ฿14.9K

144.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.45

108.07%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Saraburi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $415 in Saraburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 145% 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 $28.00 in Saraburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $269 per month, with Saraburi 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 Saraburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Saraburi differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $788 including rent). Saraburi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 145% 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 $415 in Saraburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $302 in Saraburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Saraburi – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Saraburi versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saraburi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Saraburi 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 Saraburi 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 Saraburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.