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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $472 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $791 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,110 in Thika.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 212% more expensive than in Thika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Thika is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.46 KES 705

140.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$38.67 KES 4,998

38.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.85 KES 885

36.20%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.41 KES 311

53.53%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.75 KES 96.6

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.50 KES 65.0

124.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$1.65 KES 213

90.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.99 KES 257

143.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$0.87 KES 113

89.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.44 KES 56.9

515.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.37 KES 177

39.42%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.35 KES 174

91.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$11.55 KES 1,493

-15.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.85 KES 885

23.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$1.88 KES 243

534.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.02 KES 391

-2.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.04 KES 134

67.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$2.11 KES 273

-3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.00 KES 129

106.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.07 KES 138

100.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.11 KES 144

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.65 KES 83.9

113.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.76 KES 98.1

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.37 KES 306

78.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$5.67 KES 733

208.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.69 KES 218

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$1.98 KES 256

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$1.57 KES 203

-12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.53 KES 197

-81.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$2.97 KES 384

77.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.05 KES 136

29.52%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

-13.11%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

18.82%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$33.97 KES 4,391

19.31%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$16.57 KES 2,142

65.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$39.97 KES 5,166

-23.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.13 KES 793

0.98%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$203 KES 26.3K

108.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$8,150 KES 1.1M

31.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$18.27 KES 2,362

219.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$24.31 KES 3,142

83.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$66.4 KES 8,585

55.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$55.6 KES 7,190

95.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

$613 KES 79.3K

518.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.5

-1.39%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Last update for Thika: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Thika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $174 per month, with Thika 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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Thika differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $472 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $707 in Thika 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.

Childcare runs $425 in Mexico City versus $203 in Thika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thika – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $472 in Thika versus $1,472 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Thika but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Thika 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.

Expats usually find Thika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.