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: $481 in Thika versus $1,448 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $806 in Thika versus $2,354 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,131 in Thika versus $3,260 in Mexico City.

Living in Thika costs roughly 67% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thika is 64% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 KES 722

$12.96 MX$223

-56.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.20 KES 4,943

$52.3 MX$900

-27.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 KES 904

$9.69 MX$167

-27.86%

Cappuccino

$2.45 KES 317

$3.75 MX$64.6

-34.67%

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

$0.70 KES 90.6

$1.56 MX$26.91

-55.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 65.0

$1.16 MX$19.93

-56.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 KES 216

$3.24 MX$55.8

-48.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 256

$4.90 MX$84.3

-59.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$1.70 MX$29.29

-45.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.1

$2.67 MX$45.90

-82.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 KES 173

$1.89 MX$32.49

-29.10%

Eggs

$1.42 KES 184

$2.52 MX$43.37

-43.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 KES 1,489

$10.02 MX$172

14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 KES 862

$8.53 MX$147

-21.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.91 KES 247

$11.94 MX$205

-84.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 KES 413

$2.97 MX$51.1

7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 KES 134

$1.79 MX$30.88

-41.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 KES 279

$2.00 MX$34.40

8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$1.96 MX$33.74

-48.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 KES 133

$2.16 MX$37.21

-52.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$2.27 MX$39.04

-51.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$1.40 MX$24.14

-50.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 KES 105

$1.11 MX$19.18

-27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 KES 293

$4.20 MX$72.2

-45.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.96 KES 771

$16.54 MX$285

-63.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 KES 215

$1.68 MX$28.94

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 KES 248

$3.59 MX$61.8

-46.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.38 MX$23.77

10.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 197

$0.30 MX$5.19

406.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 KES 385

$5.39 MX$92.7

-44.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 KES 133

$1.29 MX$22.13

-20.16%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$18.9K MX$325.1K

13.89%

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$23.8K MX$409.5K

-15.60%

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

$34.32 KES 4,441

$39.86 MX$686

-13.90%

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

$16.72 KES 2,164

$27.83 MX$479

-39.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.29 KES 5,084

$29.77 MX$512

31.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 KES 783

$6.27 MX$108

-3.51%

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

$205 KES 26.6K

$433 MX$7,443

-52.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,902 KES 1.0M

$10.5K MX$181.3K

-25.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.41 KES 2,382

$57.0 MX$981

-67.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.10 KES 3,119

$45.33 MX$780

-46.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 KES 8,332

$102 MX$1,753

-36.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.3 KES 7,414

$109 MX$1,867

-47.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$624 KES 80.7K

$3,936 MX$67.7K

-84.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38.00 in Thika vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $292 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 201% in total monthly costs ($481 vs $1,448 including rent). Thika is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $721 in Thika and $2,173 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 $205 in Thika versus $433 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 $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $481 in Thika versus $1,448 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 201% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.