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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $840 in Songkhla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,358 in Songkhla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,875 in Songkhla.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 100% more expensive than in Songkhla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Songkhla is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$1.78 ฿58.7

582.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$915

$22.16 ฿732

143.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$4.93 ฿163

124.95%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$1.59 ฿52.7

157.86%

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

$1.68 MX$28.55

$0.68 ฿22.59

147.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.56

$0.23 ฿7.58

504.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.86 ฿61.4

79.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.8

$4.90 ฿162

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.42

$1.63 ฿53.9

13.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.93 ฿30.72

240.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.14

$1.77 ฿58.6

16.95%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.69

$1.41 ฿46.53

107.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$16.37 ฿541

-23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$2.62 ฿86.5

285.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$10.37 ฿343

55.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.14 ฿104

7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.27

$1.80 ฿59.5

15.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.99

$2.16 ฿71.4

-1.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.97

$1.29 ฿42.51

86.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.13

$1.52 ฿50.1

40.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.03

$1.74 ฿57.6

15.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$1.13 ฿37.31

37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.16

$0.97 ฿31.97

40.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.9

$4.48 ฿148

28.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$13.77 ฿455

28.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.58 ฿52.3

31.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$4.68 ฿155

-1.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.95 ฿31.41

-61.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$62.0 ฿2,049

-65.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.86

$1.27 ฿41.86

61.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.78 ฿25.79

-25.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$3.96 ฿131

53.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.35

$1.23 ฿40.54

26.02%

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

$22.9K MX$388.2K

$27.1K ฿893.9K

-15.45%

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

$27.2K MX$462.2K

$31.8K ฿1.1M

-14.46%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$87.3 ฿2,883

-22.74%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$12.89 ฿426

137.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$18.38 ฿607

102.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$48.44 ฿1,601

26.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$14.70 ฿486

84.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$6.06 ฿200

17.33%

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

$456 MX$7,743

$566 ฿18.7K

-19.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.4K

$10.8K ฿358.5K

26.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$52.4 ฿1,731

41.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$968

$34.24 ฿1,131

66.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,959

$68.8 ฿2,273

67.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,062

$77.3 ฿2,555

57.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$246 ฿8,114

367.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$177 ฿5,846

300.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$603 ฿19.9K

327.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$426 ฿14.1K

204.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$2,124 ฿70.2K

88.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,581 ฿52.2K

34.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$801 ฿26.5K

35.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.33

21.11%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $246 in Songkhla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 35% 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 $22.00 in Songkhla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $242 per month, with Songkhla 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 Songkhla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Songkhla differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $840 including rent). Songkhla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $246 in Songkhla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Songkhla runs roughly 193% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $566 in Songkhla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $840 in Songkhla versus $1,677 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Songkhla but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Songkhla 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 Songkhla 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 Songkhla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.