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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $481 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $806 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,131 in Thika.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 201% more expensive than Thika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Thika is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$5.58 KES 722

132.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$38.20 KES 4,943

36.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$6.99 KES 904

38.63%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$2.45 KES 317

53.06%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.70 KES 90.6

122.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.50 KES 65.0

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.67 KES 216

94.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$1.98 KES 256

147.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$0.92 KES 119

84.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$0.48 KES 62.1

456.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.34 KES 173

41.04%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.42 KES 184

77.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$11.50 KES 1,489

-12.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$6.66 KES 862

28.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$1.91 KES 247

525.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$3.19 KES 413

-6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.04 KES 134

72.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.16 KES 279

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.01 KES 130

94.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.03 KES 133

109.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$1.11 KES 144

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$0.69 KES 89.0

102.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.81 KES 105

37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$2.27 KES 293

85.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$5.96 KES 771

177.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.67 KES 215

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.92 KES 248

86.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$1.53 KES 198

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$1.52 KES 197

-80.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$2.98 KES 385

80.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.03 KES 133

25.24%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$21.5K KES 2.8M

-12.20%

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

18.49%

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

$39.86 MX$686

$34.32 KES 4,441

16.14%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$16.72 KES 2,164

66.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$39.29 KES 5,084

-24.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$6.05 KES 783

3.64%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$205 KES 26.6K

110.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$7,902 KES 1.0M

33.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$18.41 KES 2,382

209.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$24.10 KES 3,119

88.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$64.4 KES 8,332

58.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$57.3 KES 7,414

89.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$624 KES 80.7K

531.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Thika: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in Thika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 201% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $481 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $721 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 $433 in Mexico City versus $205 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 $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $481 in Thika versus $1,448 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 201% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.