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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,250 in Thiva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $2,012 in Thiva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,775 in Thiva.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 16% more expensive than Thiva, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Thiva is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$13.23 €11.40

-1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$56.8 €48.93

-7.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$6.76 €5.82

39.50%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.56 €2.21

39.45%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.70 €1.46

-5.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.54 €0.46

112.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$4.50 €3.88

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$2.92 €2.51

66.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.53 €1.31

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$1.56 €1.35

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$2.20 €1.89

-13.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$4.00 €3.45

-36.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$13.75 €11.85

-26.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$10.03 €8.64

-17.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$13.02 €11.22

-11.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.72 €1.48

76.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$1.88 €1.62

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.09 €0.94

88.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$1.88 €1.62

9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$0.99 €0.86

108.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.28 €1.10

69.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.93 €0.80

50.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.48 €0.42

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$4.80 €4.13

-10.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$6.23 €5.37

147.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.67 €1.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.00 €1.72

84.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.35 €1.17

-71.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

$46.07 €39.69

-58.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$3.71 €3.19

-62.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$13.80 €11.89

-60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$2.11 €1.82

-39.34%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$30.9K €26.7K

-38.67%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$29.2K €25.1K

-19.56%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$186 €160

-77.93%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$23.54 €20.28

14.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$31.64 €27.26

-6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$49.20 €42.39

6.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

$26.53 €22.86

-1.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$8.34 €7.19

-25.90%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$345 €297

23.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$5,550 €4,782

92.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$53.1 €45.71

7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$34.41 €29.65

30.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$94.5 €81.5

10.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$95.6 €82.4

10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$341 €294

191.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$292 €251

112.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$767 €661

177.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$625 €539

100.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

$1,812 €1,562

115.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

$1,463 €1,261

43.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

$1,177 €1,014

-5.89%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Thiva: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $341 in Thiva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thiva pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $57.0 in Thiva. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $260, 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 16% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,250 including rent). Thiva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Thiva earns 6% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $341 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 142% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $345 in Thiva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Thiva versus $1,447 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 16% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.