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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $472 in Thika versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $791 in Thika versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,110 in Thika versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Thika costs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thika is 65% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 KES 705

$13.14 MX$227

-58.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.67 KES 4,998

$53.5 MX$926

-27.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 KES 885

$9.33 MX$161

-26.58%

Cappuccino

$2.41 KES 311

$3.70 MX$64.0

-34.86%

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

$0.75 KES 96.6

$1.60 MX$27.76

-53.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 65.0

$1.12 MX$19.34

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 KES 213

$3.14 MX$54.3

-47.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 257

$4.85 MX$83.9

-58.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 KES 113

$1.65 MX$28.61

-47.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.9

$2.71 MX$46.96

-83.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 KES 177

$1.91 MX$33.03

-28.27%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 174

$2.59 MX$44.81

-47.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 KES 1,493

$9.81 MX$170

17.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 KES 885

$8.43 MX$146

-18.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.88 KES 243

$11.93 MX$206

-84.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 KES 391

$2.95 MX$51.1

2.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 KES 134

$1.74 MX$30.10

-40.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 KES 273

$2.04 MX$35.38

3.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 KES 129

$2.06 MX$35.64

-51.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 KES 138

$2.15 MX$37.20

-50.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$2.26 MX$39.02

-50.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 83.9

$1.39 MX$23.97

-53.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 98.1

$1.12 MX$19.31

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 KES 306

$4.22 MX$73.0

-43.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 KES 733

$17.51 MX$303

-67.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 KES 218

$1.71 MX$29.58

-1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 256

$3.63 MX$62.8

-45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 203

$1.38 MX$23.80

13.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 197

$0.28 MX$4.77

446.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 KES 384

$5.28 MX$91.3

-43.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.36 MX$23.50

-22.79%

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

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$19.1K MX$330.5K

15.09%

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

$19.9K KES 2.6M

$23.6K MX$408.4K

-15.84%

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

$33.97 KES 4,391

$40.53 MX$701

-16.19%

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

$16.57 KES 2,142

$27.38 MX$474

-39.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.97 KES 5,166

$30.38 MX$526

31.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 KES 793

$6.19 MX$107

-0.97%

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

$203 KES 26.3K

$425 MX$7,355

-52.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,150 KES 1.1M

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-24.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 KES 2,362

$58.3 MX$1,009

-68.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.31 KES 3,142

$44.57 MX$771

-45.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 KES 8,585

$103 MX$1,791

-35.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 KES 7,190

$109 MX$1,881

-48.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$613 KES 79.3K

$3,792 MX$65.6K

-83.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.34

1.41%

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

Last update for Thika: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $39.00 in Thika vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $293 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

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

Thika and Mexico City differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($472 vs $1,472 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $707 in Thika and $2,208 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.

Childcare runs $203 in Thika versus $425 in Mexico City. 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 $39.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $472 in Thika versus $1,472 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 212% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.