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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $640 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,006 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,373 in Battambang.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 128% more expensive than in Battambang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Battambang is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.49 ៛10.0K

424.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$18.27 ៛73.7K

194.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.70 ៛23.0K

69.82%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.52 ៛6,117

146.05%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.63 ៛2,544

157.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.48 ៛1,936

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.72 ៛2,904

348.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.52 ៛6,115

211.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$2.08 ៛8,396

-20.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.46 ៛5,871

88.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.02 ៛4,093

83.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.83 ៛7,385

36.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.76 ៛51.4K

-20.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$4.20 ៛16.9K

96.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.44 ៛42.1K

13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.53 ៛10.2K

18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.54 ៛6,227

17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$2.29 ៛9,217

-12.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.51 ៛6,077

32.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.54 ៛6,204

35.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.25 ៛5,049

81.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.45 ៛5,829

0.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.48 ៛1,941

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.98 ៛7,987

119.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$11.18 ៛45.1K

51.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.83 ៛3,359

108.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.02 ៛4,108

250.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$0.99 ៛3,989

34.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.02 ៛4,101

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.09 ៛16.5K

28.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.16 ៛4,692

15.52%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$48.3K ៛194.8M

-59.84%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$37.4K ៛150.9M

-36.33%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$52.7 ៛212.6K

-22.85%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$1.46 ៛5,897

1740.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$23.75 ៛95.7K

28.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$22.21 ៛89.5K

137.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.39 ៛17.7K

48.29%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$90.3 ៛364.2K

373.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$3,904 ៛15.7M

168.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$20.10 ៛81.0K

184.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$22.47 ៛90.6K

102.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$44.51 ៛179.4K

133.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$41.40 ៛166.9K

160.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$246 ៛991.3K

307.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$172 ៛695.0K

261.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$468 ៛1.9M

350.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$352 ៛1.4M

246.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$198 ៛798.2K

424.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

41.75%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Battambang: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $246 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 424% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Battambang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $223 per month, with Battambang 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

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

Battambang wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Battambang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 424% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $246 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $90.3 in Battambang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Battambang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $640 in Battambang versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Battambang but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Battambang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Battambang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $640 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Battambang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Battambang 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 Battambang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.