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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,971 in Thames versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,977 in Thames versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Thames versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Living in Thames is roughly 26% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thames 47% above, Mexico City 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.10 NZ$25.07

$11.12 MX$200

26.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 NZ$120

$48.99 MX$880

37.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 NZ$17.09

$11.23 MX$202

-14.34%

Cappuccino

$3.34 NZ$5.93

$3.76 MX$67.5

-11.17%

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

$2.08 NZ$3.69

$1.65 MX$29.69

26.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 NZ$3.20

$1.28 MX$22.98

40.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 NZ$12.85

$3.26 MX$58.5

121.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 NZ$12.28

$5.66 MX$102

21.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.30

$1.81 MX$32.52

2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.94

$2.94 MX$52.8

-24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.28

$2.05 MX$36.82

-10.24%

Eggs

$6.37 NZ$11.33

$2.93 MX$52.6

117.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 NZ$15.55

$11.95 MX$215

-26.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 NZ$17.67

$9.51 MX$171

4.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.20 NZ$30.57

$14.84 MX$267

15.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 NZ$5.25

$3.14 MX$56.5

-6.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.71

$2.01 MX$36.20

3.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.39

$2.08 MX$37.29

45.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 NZ$9.45

$2.22 MX$39.86

139.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

$2.06 MX$37.01

8.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 NZ$2.79

$1.88 MX$33.73

-16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NZ$3.55

$1.48 MX$26.60

35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.88

$1.35 MX$24.17

-21.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.70 NZ$49.26

$5.41 MX$97.2

412.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 NZ$18.07

$16.86 MX$303

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 NZ$5.02

$1.98 MX$35.66

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 NZ$5.89

$4.32 MX$77.7

-23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 NZ$2.94

$0.34 MX$6.20

385.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.2 NZ$150

$20.23 MX$363

316.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 NZ$4.13

$2.10 MX$37.65

10.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 NZ$3.61

$0.53 MX$9.53

283.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.51 NZ$57.8

$5.41 MX$97.1

500.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.34

$1.52 MX$27.31

23.68%

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

$25.9K NZ$46.1K

$21.7K MX$390.5K

19.36%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.9K

$24.8K MX$445.9K

-9.56%

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

$186 NZ$331

$63.0 MX$1,132

196.01%

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

$26.96 NZ$47.93

$28.88 MX$519

-6.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 NZ$89.1

$33.93 MX$610

47.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.66 NZ$70.5

$55.8 MX$1,002

-28.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 MX$447

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 NZ$23.51

$6.77 MX$122

95.27%

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

$1,114 NZ$1,980

$428 MX$7,687

160.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

$11.9K MX$213.3K

63.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 NZ$140

$70.0 MX$1,258

12.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.01 NZ$72.9

$53.7 MX$966

-23.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NZ$163

$110 MX$1,973

-16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 NZ$193

$115 MX$2,070

-5.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 NZ$1,735

$1,062 MX$19.1K

-8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 NZ$1,468

$671 MX$12.1K

23.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 NZ$2,948

$2,379 MX$42.8K

-30.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 NZ$2,639

$1,260 MX$22.6K

17.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,859 NZ$8,638

$3,716 MX$66.8K

30.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,387 NZ$6,021

$1,976 MX$35.5K

71.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

11.3

-52.21%

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

Last update for Thames: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $976 in Thames and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Thames vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $327 per month, with Mexico City 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

Thames vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames and Mexico City differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,971 vs $1,561 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,957 in Thames and $2,341 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: $976 in Thames versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 316% less than in Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,114 in Thames versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,561 in Mexico City versus $1,971 in Thames, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Thames. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City 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, Thames 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.