Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thimphu and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Thimphu: $522 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Thimphu
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Thimphu Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Thimphu

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$522

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thimphu and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thimphu and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $522 in Thimphu versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Thimphu $522
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $811 in Thimphu versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Thimphu $811
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,100 in Thimphu versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Thimphu $1,100
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Thimphu costs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thimphu is 62% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 BTN 253

$10.62 MX$199

-75.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.45 BTN 1,377

$48.35 MX$907

-70.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 BTN 471

$10.35 MX$194

-52.27%

Cappuccino

$1.27 BTN 121

$3.69 MX$69.2

-65.58%

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

$0.53 BTN 50.5

$1.67 MX$31.25

-68.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 BTN 16.08

$1.27 MX$23.73

-86.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 BTN 255

$3.19 MX$59.9

-15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 BTN 148

$5.31 MX$99.5

-70.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 BTN 73.6

$1.72 MX$32.34

-55.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 BTN 107

$3.04 MX$57.0

-63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 BTN 97.8

$1.94 MX$36.40

-46.91%

Eggs

$1.95 BTN 185

$2.89 MX$54.1

-32.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.74 BTN 356

$10.97 MX$206

-65.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 BTN 378

$9.25 MX$173

-57.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.89 BTN 371

$15.13 MX$284

-74.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 BTN 241

$3.05 MX$57.2

-17.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 BTN 144

$1.94 MX$36.40

-22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 BTN 156

$2.03 MX$37.98

-19.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 BTN 72.9

$2.31 MX$43.40

-67.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 BTN 54.1

$2.04 MX$38.16

-72.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 BTN 67.7

$1.80 MX$33.75

-60.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 BTN 35.95

$1.48 MX$27.74

-74.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 BTN 29.96

$1.27 MX$23.77

-75.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 BTN 378

$5.30 MX$99.4

-25.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.80 BTN 267

$16.10 MX$302

-82.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 BTN 59.1

$1.98 MX$37.19

-68.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 BTN 134

$4.25 MX$79.7

-66.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 BTN 76.4

$0.31 MX$5.72

158.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.27 BTN 502

$19.73 MX$370

-73.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 BTN 73.8

$1.84 MX$34.45

-58.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 BTN 149

$0.53 MX$10.00

194.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.14 BTN 13.67

$5.30 MX$99.3

-97.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 BTN 74.5

$1.51 MX$28.32

-48.34%

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

$16.8K BTN 1.6M

$21.8K MX$407.9K

-22.95%

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

$15.5K BTN 1.5M

$24.0K MX$449.7K

-35.48%

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

$34.15 BTN 3,254

$63.0 MX$1,181

-45.78%

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

$35.64 BTN 3,396

$27.39 MX$514

30.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 BTN 2,301

$35.67 MX$669

-32.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.23 BTN 4,596

$58.9 MX$1,105

-18.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.53 BTN 718

$23.64 MX$443

-68.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 BTN 299

$6.40 MX$120

-51.09%

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

$45.45 BTN 4,331

$432 MX$8,092

-89.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$579 BTN 55.2K

$11.4K MX$214.2K

-94.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 BTN 4,772

$68.2 MX$1,279

-26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.28 BTN 2,409

$53.1 MX$996

-52.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 BTN 6,496

$108 MX$2,021

-36.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.25 BTN 1,358

$117 MX$2,199

-87.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 BTN 12.2K

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-88.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.9 BTN 8,472

$710 MX$13.3K

-87.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$191 BTN 18.2K

$2,588 MX$48.5K

-92.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 BTN 14.8K

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-88.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,737 BTN 642.0K

$3,631 MX$68.1K

85.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$399 BTN 38.0K

$2,135 MX$40.0K

-81.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$348 BTN 33.1K

$946 MX$17.7K

-63.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Thimphu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Thimphu

$126 24.1%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 155% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thimphu

$94 18%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 34.2% $32

Accommodation & Living

Thimphu

$89 17.1%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 699% $622

Clothing & Footwear

Thimphu

$71 13.6%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 120% $85

Eating Out

Thimphu

$71 13.5%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 181% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Thimphu

$55 10.5%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 31.6% $17

Getting Around

Thimphu

$17 3.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 49.3% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $128 in Thimphu and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 2.7 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14 in Thimphu vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $126 vs $320 per month, with Thimphu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Thimphu

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

14:24 2:24 PM

12 h behind Thimphu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,676 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.49 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.29 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.75 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Thimphu Mexico City 14,710 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Thimphu
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $522 in Thimphu and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Thimphu is about 68% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Thimphu. 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: $128 in Thimphu versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thimphu runs roughly 73% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $45 in Thimphu versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $522 in Thimphu versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Thimphu but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Thimphu 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 Thimphu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.