Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Surat Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Surat Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $809 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,312 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,816 in Surat Thani.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Surat Thani is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$1.90 ฿62.0

593.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$931

$18.39 ฿601

193.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$4.68 ฿153

101.28%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.3

$1.59 ฿51.8

123.27%

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

$1.62 MX$27.95

$0.50 ฿16.37

224.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.25

$0.30 ฿9.78

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$2.51 ฿82.1

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.0

$3.73 ฿122

24.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.40

$1.92 ฿62.8

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$46.97

$1.22 ฿39.98

122.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.04

$1.10 ฿35.78

73.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.82

$1.89 ฿61.6

34.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$173

$19.57 ฿639

-48.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.68 ฿120

119.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.93 ฿259

46.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.35 ฿110

-11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.21

$1.69 ฿55.3

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$2.12 ฿69.1

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.16

$1.78 ฿58.1

14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.71

$1.21 ฿39.61

75.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.21

$1.45 ฿47.42

56.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.20

$0.99 ฿32.20

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.53

$0.41 ฿13.54

175.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.8

$3.13 ฿102

36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$18.86 ฿616

-17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.65 ฿53.8

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.1

$2.69 ฿87.9

33.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.10 ฿36.05

-65.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$331

$21.39 ฿699

-10.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.06 ฿34.71

30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.61 ฿19.90

-54.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.1

$3.67 ฿120

48.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.53

$1.21 ฿39.37

7.44%

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

$18.7K MX$322.9K

$27.8K ฿907.9K

-32.78%

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

$23.1K MX$399.7K

$33.6K ฿1.1M

-31.14%

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

$40.86 MX$706

$77.4 ฿2,528

-47.20%

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

$26.81 MX$463

$13.88 ฿453

93.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$18.38 ฿600

63.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$899

$50.1 ฿1,636

3.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$12.18 ฿398

120.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.49 ฿147

40.31%

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

$436 MX$7,536

$703 ฿23.0K

-37.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.0K

$16.1K ฿525.2K

-35.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$979

$59.3 ฿1,935

-4.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$767

$35.21 ฿1,150

26.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$114 ฿3,732

-9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,823

$84.6 ฿2,762

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$240 ฿7,833

326.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$156 ฿5,098

304.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$693 ฿22.6K

208.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$416 ฿13.6K

198.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.4K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

86.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,698 ฿55.5K

21.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.33

112.76%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $240 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $255 per month, with Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Surat Thani differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $809 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 in Mexico City and $1,213 in Surat Thani to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $240 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surat Thani runs roughly 12% 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 $703 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $809 in Surat Thani versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani 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.