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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $800 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,316 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,833 in Surat Thani.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than in Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Surat Thani is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$1.97 ฿66.1

563.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$18.49 ฿622

190.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$4.73 ฿159

104.65%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.52 ฿51.0

146.05%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.47 ฿15.95

244.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.32 ฿10.86

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.44 ฿82.0

32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.67 ฿123

29.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.04 ฿68.5

-19.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.24 ฿41.68

121.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.11 ฿37.29

68.47%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.95 ฿65.7

28.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$19.67 ฿661

-48.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.64 ฿123

126.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.54 ฿253

56.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.26 ฿110

-7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.70 ฿57.2

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.14 ฿71.9

-6.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.71 ฿57.5

16.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.21 ฿40.54

71.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.48 ฿49.79

53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.03 ฿34.55

41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.41 ฿13.91

163.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.15 ฿106

38.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$18.59 ฿625

-8.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.57 ฿52.9

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.65 ฿89.2

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.10 ฿36.90

-64.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$21.66 ฿728

-13.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.11 ฿37.19

19.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.66 ฿22.29

-57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$3.66 ฿123

43.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.26 ฿42.27

6.35%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$27.8K ฿934.5K

-30.14%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-27.62%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$76.9 ฿2,585

-47.07%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$13.74 ฿462

95.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$18.81 ฿633

62.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$49.95 ฿1,680

5.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$12.18 ฿410

118.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.71 ฿158

38.22%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$682 ฿22.9K

-37.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$15.6K ฿525.7K

-32.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$58.6 ฿1,972

-2.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$34.37 ฿1,156

32.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$115 ฿3,863

-9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$84.6 ฿2,846

27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$243 ฿8,169

313.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$153 ฿5,155

306.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$691 ฿23.2K

205.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$410 ฿13.8K

197.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,174 ฿73.1K

78.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,619 ฿54.5K

25.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $243 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 $292 vs $254 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 82% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $800 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,200 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $243 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 16% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $682 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $800 in Surat Thani versus $1,456 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.