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: $1,646 in Mexico City versus $806 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Mexico City versus $1,435 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Mexico City versus $2,063 in Surat Thani.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 104% more expensive than in Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 20% above, Surat Thani is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.11 MX$205

$1.94 ฿63.9

524.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$883

$18.12 ฿596

188.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 MX$184

$4.48 ฿147

143.30%

Cappuccino

$4.05 MX$68.5

$1.52 ฿49.93

166.45%

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

$1.72 MX$29.00

$0.48 ฿15.69

258.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$23.29

$0.30 ฿9.85

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

$2.51 ฿82.6

38.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

$3.74 ฿123

55.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.33

$1.84 ฿60.6

0.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 MX$54.5

$1.22 ฿39.99

163.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$1.21 ฿39.67

72.73%

Eggs

$2.91 MX$49.18

$1.95 ฿64.0

49.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 MX$211

$19.59 ฿644

-36.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$171

$3.53 ฿116

186.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 MX$269

$7.72 ฿254

105.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 MX$56.0

$2.93 ฿96.4

12.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.95

$1.65 ฿54.2

29.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.03

$1.79 ฿58.8

22.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 MX$41.37

$2.20 ฿72.3

11.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.00

$1.34 ฿44.19

63.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.20

$1.41 ฿46.45

34.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.15 ฿37.75

40.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$22.82

$0.41 ฿13.49

229.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 MX$91.7

$3.04 ฿99.8

78.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

$19.08 ฿628

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

$1.57 ฿51.5

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

$1.79 ฿58.9

165.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.75

$1.08 ฿35.58

-68.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

$21.27 ฿699

1.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MX$34.49

$1.19 ฿39.24

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.77

$0.63 ฿20.82

-7.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

$3.62 ฿119

64.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$27.31

$1.25 ฿41.17

29.60%

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

$22.8K MX$385.6K

$27.0K ฿888.9K

-15.62%

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

$26.7K MX$450.7K

$27.7K ฿909.4K

-3.60%

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

$65.2 MX$1,103

$76.1 ฿2,502

-14.26%

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

$29.87 MX$505

$11.50 ฿378

159.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.55 MX$618

$17.44 ฿573

109.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 MX$1,031

$48.94 ฿1,609

24.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$451

$14.57 ฿479

83.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

$4.55 ฿150

50.55%

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

$453 MX$7,664

$574 ฿18.9K

-20.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K MX$226.0K

$11.7K ฿385.0K

14.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 MX$1,267

$65.0 ฿2,138

15.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$935

$29.70 ฿976

86.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,920

$97.6 ฿3,208

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 MX$2,073

$88.8 ฿2,920

38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 MX$19.2K

$241 ฿7,926

370.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.0K

$152 ฿5,002

368.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,571 MX$43.5K

$1,240 ฿40.8K

107.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$22.2K

$715 ฿23.5K

83.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

$2,026 ฿66.6K

97.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

$1,621 ฿53.3K

29.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

5.57

102.87%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Mexico City and $241 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $251 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 104% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $806 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,469 in Mexico City and $1,209 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: $1,134 in Mexico City versus $241 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 1% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $453 in Mexico City versus $574 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $806 in Surat Thani versus $1,646 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 104% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.