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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $478 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $795 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,113 in Thika.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 210% more expensive than Thika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Thika is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$5.27 KES 680

146.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$39.16 KES 5,055

35.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.95 KES 898

39.86%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.44 KES 315

53.69%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.74 KES 95.7

112.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.50 KES 64.5

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$1.73 KES 223

83.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.98 KES 255

135.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$0.92 KES 119

76.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.44 KES 57.4

515.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.33 KES 171

41.35%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.37 KES 177

83.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$11.51 KES 1,486

-12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.86 KES 886

20.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$1.98 KES 255

503.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.02 KES 390

-5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.07 KES 138

63.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.09 KES 270

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.04 KES 134

89.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.03 KES 134

109.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.11 KES 143

96.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.69 KES 88.5

101.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.82 KES 105

36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.35 KES 303

78.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$5.65 KES 730

152.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.73 KES 223

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.91 KES 246

92.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.53 KES 197

-9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$1.57 KES 203

-80.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.96 KES 382

83.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.02 KES 131

32.35%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-14.52%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$19.7K KES 2.5M

17.29%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$34.17 KES 4,410

19.46%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$17.06 KES 2,202

61.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$38.97 KES 5,030

-22.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.30 KES 813

-0.48%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$202 KES 26.0K

116.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,948 KES 1.0M

31.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$18.57 KES 2,397

205.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$24.27 KES 3,132

84.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$66.5 KES 8,583

54.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$56.7 KES 7,315

90.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$615 KES 79.4K

528.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Thika: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Thika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $176 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 210% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $478 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $717 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 $436 in Mexico City versus $202 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $478 in Thika versus $1,484 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 210% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.