Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Phnom Penh Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Phnom Penh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $963 in Phnom Penh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,487 in Phnom Penh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,011 in Phnom Penh.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 52% more expensive than Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Phnom Penh is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$5.14 ៛20.7K

156.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$29.79 ៛119.8K

80.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.95 ៛27.9K

35.54%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.65 ៛10.7K

33.96%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.02 ៛4,111

58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.03 ៛4,154

7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.47 ៛5,900

112.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.55 ៛10.3K

81.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.07 ៛8,342

-17.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.46 ៛5,853

86.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.03 ៛4,156

85.44%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.83 ៛7,346

38.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$12.64 ៛50.8K

-20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$4.04 ៛16.2K

100.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.44 ៛42.0K

11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.60 ៛18.5K

-35.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.62 ៛6,500

11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.81 ៛15.3K

-47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.45 ៛5,823

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.67 ៛6,719

26.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.24 ៛4,992

83.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.40 ៛5,613

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.67 ៛2,689

68.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.03 ៛8,167

110.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$11.90 ៛47.9K

30.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.02 ៛4,085

72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.70 ៛6,838

111.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.53 ៛6,138

-75.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$10.79 ៛43.4K

77.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.04 ៛4,172

32.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.01 ៛4,065

-72.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.61 ៛18.6K

18.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.18 ៛4,750

10.17%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$49.6K ៛199.6M

-62.36%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$36.8K ៛147.8M

-37.06%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$106 ៛426.7K

-61.50%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$6.41 ៛25.8K

318.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$23.17 ៛93.2K

29.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$46.71 ៛187.8K

11.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$14.54 ៛58.5K

84.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.62 ៛18.6K

36.36%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$374 ៛1.5M

16.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$11.7K ៛47.0M

-10.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$22.36 ៛89.9K

153.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$22.30 ៛89.7K

99.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$89.9 ៛361.5K

14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$72.2 ៛290.4K

46.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$504 ៛2.0M

102.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$280 ៛1.1M

125.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,023 ៛4.1M

108.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$567 ៛2.3M

119.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,925 ៛11.8M

33.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,484 ៛6.0M

39.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$349 ៛1.4M

219.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.3

10.10%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $504 in Phnom Penh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 219% 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 $30.00 in Phnom Penh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $245 per month, with Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Phnom Penh differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $963 including rent). Phnom Penh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 219% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $504 in Phnom Penh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phnom Penh runs roughly 78% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $374 in Phnom Penh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $963 in Phnom Penh versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phnom Penh but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Phnom Penh 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, Mexico City and Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.