Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Surat Thani versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,312 in Surat Thani versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,816 in Surat Thani versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Surat Thani costs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surat Thani is 40% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ฿62.0

$13.18 MX$228

-85.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿601

$53.9 MX$931

-65.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ฿153

$9.42 MX$163

-50.32%

Cappuccino

$1.59 ฿51.8

$3.55 MX$61.3

-55.21%

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

$0.50 ฿16.37

$1.62 MX$27.95

-69.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿9.78

$1.11 MX$19.25

-72.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿82.1

$3.12 MX$53.9

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$4.63 MX$80.0

-19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ฿62.8

$1.70 MX$29.40

12.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ฿39.98

$2.72 MX$46.97

-55.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ฿35.78

$1.91 MX$33.04

-42.41%

Eggs

$1.89 ฿61.6

$2.54 MX$43.82

-25.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿639

$10.03 MX$173

95.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ฿120

$8.09 MX$140

-54.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 ฿259

$11.62 MX$201

-31.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 ฿110

$2.97 MX$51.3

12.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿55.3

$1.81 MX$31.21

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ฿69.1

$2.01 MX$34.79

5.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.03 MX$35.16

-12.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.61

$2.12 MX$36.71

-42.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.42

$2.27 MX$39.21

-36.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.20

$1.40 MX$24.20

-29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.54

$1.13 MX$19.53

-63.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ฿102

$4.27 MX$73.8

-26.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.86 ฿616

$15.56 MX$269

21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.76 MX$30.36

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿87.9

$3.60 MX$62.1

-25.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ฿36.05

$0.38 MX$6.62

189.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 ฿699

$19.18 MX$331

11.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ฿34.71

$1.38 MX$23.77

-23.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ฿19.90

$0.28 MX$4.78

117.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ฿120

$5.45 MX$94.1

-32.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ฿39.37

$1.30 MX$22.53

-6.92%

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

$27.8K ฿907.9K

$18.7K MX$322.9K

48.76%

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

$33.6K ฿1.1M

$23.1K MX$399.7K

45.21%

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

$77.4 ฿2,528

$40.86 MX$706

89.40%

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

$13.88 ฿453

$26.81 MX$463

-48.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.38 ฿600

$29.96 MX$518

-38.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 ฿1,636

$52.0 MX$899

-3.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 ฿398

$26.84 MX$464

-54.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 ฿147

$6.30 MX$109

-28.73%

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

$703 ฿23.0K

$436 MX$7,536

61.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿525.2K

$10.4K MX$180.0K

54.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,935

$56.7 MX$979

4.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 ฿1,150

$44.38 MX$767

-20.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,732

$103 MX$1,779

11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.6 ฿2,762

$106 MX$1,823

-19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,833

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-76.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ฿5,098

$631 MX$10.9K

-75.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ฿22.6K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ฿13.6K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-66.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$3,903 MX$67.4K

-46.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,698 ฿55.5K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-17.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.34

-53.00%

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

Last update for Surat Thani: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Surat Thani and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Surat Thani vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $288 per month, with Surat Thani 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

Surat Thani vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat Thani and Mexico City differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($809 vs $1,467 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,213 in Surat Thani and $2,201 in Mexico City 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: $240 in Surat Thani versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surat Thani runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $703 in Surat Thani versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $809 in Surat Thani versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani 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, Surat Thani and Mexico City 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 Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.