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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,233 in Thiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $2,006 in Thiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,780 in Thiva.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than Thiva, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Thiva is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$13.36 €11.43

-2.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$58.6 €50.1

-9.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.85 €5.86

41.90%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.57 €2.20

45.91%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$1.70 €1.45

-7.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.50 €0.43

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$4.56 €3.90

-30.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$2.91 €2.49

60.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.54 €1.32

5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.57 €1.34

72.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$2.11 €1.81

-10.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$4.09 €3.50

-38.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$13.72 €11.75

-26.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$9.51 €8.14

-12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$13.32 €11.41

-10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$1.70 €1.46

68.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.85 €1.58

-5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.11 €0.95

87.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.87 €1.60

5.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.03 €0.88

109.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.28 €1.09

70.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.86 €0.73

61.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.45 €0.39

148.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$4.93 €4.22

-14.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$6.39 €5.47

123.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.58 €1.36

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$1.91 €1.64

92.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.35 €1.16

-71.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$46.86 €40.11

-60.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$3.69 €3.16

-62.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$13.57 €11.61

-60.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$2.17 €1.86

-37.79%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$31.4K €26.9K

-39.87%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$29.4K €25.1K

-21.17%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$187 €160

-78.22%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$23.26 €19.91

18.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$31.60 €27.05

-3.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$50.2 €42.94

6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$26.28 €22.50

0.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$8.01 €6.86

-21.72%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$352 €301

23.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$5,638 €4,827

85.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$52.8 €45.19

7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$35.10 €30.04

27.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$98.3 €84.2

4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$96.3 €82.4

12.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$344 €294

191.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$286 €244

117.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$769 €658

177.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$624 €534

97.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,787 €1,530

116.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$1,489 €1,275

56.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$1,032 €883

3.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

4.34

161.29%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Thiva: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $344 in Thiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $59.0 in Thiva. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $257, with Thiva cheaper for home cooking.

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 Thiva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Thiva differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,233 including rent). Thiva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 3% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $344 in Thiva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thiva runs roughly 151% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $352 in Thiva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,233 in Thiva versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thiva but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Thiva 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 Thiva 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 Thiva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.