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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $523 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $879 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,235 in Thika.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 217% more expensive than in Thika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Thika is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$3.54 KES 458

236.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$34.10 KES 4,412

51.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$6.19 KES 801

84.33%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$1.96 KES 253

103.57%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.32 KES 42.02

418.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.59 KES 76.9

125.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.96 KES 253

77.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$2.18 KES 282

170.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$0.73 KES 94.6

157.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.48 KES 61.7

577.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.17 KES 151

84.62%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.36 KES 176

113.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$10.54 KES 1,363

22.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.27 KES 811

60.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$4.00 KES 517

296.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$1.52 KES 197

116.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$0.64 KES 83.5

214.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$0.79 KES 102

178.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.14 KES 148

107.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.38 KES 49.09

439.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$0.44 KES 57.1

331.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.68 KES 88.1

136.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.38 KES 49.12

268.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$2.72 KES 352

100.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$5.83 KES 755

202.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.82 KES 236

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$1.88 KES 243

148.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$1.58 KES 205

32.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.95 KES 123

-41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$2.93 KES 379

98.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.38 KES 179

16.67%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

4.00%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

31.68%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$34.61 KES 4,478

88.33%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$15.66 KES 2,026

92.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$35.40 KES 4,581

5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

$46.60 KES 6,029

28.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$7.63 KES 987

-7.73%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$54.2 KES 7,019

756.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$3,490 KES 451.6K

280.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$28.29 KES 3,661

168.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$28.06 KES 3,631

99.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$71.0 KES 9,183

57.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$19.23 KES 2,489

526.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

$99.0 KES 12.8K

1013.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$59.0 KES 7,632

1121.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

$275 KES 35.6K

820.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

$175 KES 22.6K

639.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

$619 KES 80.1K

544.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

14.71

-23.18%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Thika: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $99.0 in Thika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $34.00 in Thika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $151 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 217% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $523 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $785 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $99.0 in Thika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $54.2 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 $34.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $523 in Thika versus $1,660 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 217% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.