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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,015 in Phnom Penh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,653 in Phnom Penh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,290 in Phnom Penh.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 65% more expensive than in Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Phnom Penh is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$3.93 ៛15.9K

208.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$39.70 ៛160.8K

35.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$6.96 ៛28.2K

59.34%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$3.03 ៛12.3K

35.31%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.86 ៛7,547

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.71 ៛2,855

95.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$1.27 ៛5,141

162.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$2.93 ៛11.9K

100.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$2.19 ៛8,869

-15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$1.66 ៛6,717

90.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$1.07 ៛4,327

93.46%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$1.73 ៛7,019

69.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$14.96 ៛60.6K

-15.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$4.20 ៛17.0K

140.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$9.29 ៛37.6K

73.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.85 ៛15.6K

-11.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.76 ៛7,133

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$4.28 ៛17.3K

-50.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$2.12 ៛8,572

13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.61 ៛6,503

32.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.21 ៛4,903

66.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.15 ៛4,641

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$0.72 ៛2,917

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$1.87 ៛7,576

208.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$10.83 ៛43.9K

63.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.04 ៛4,204

99.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$1.76 ៛7,114

161.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.47 ៛1,892

-21.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

$9.35 ៛37.9K

126.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$1.14 ៛4,616

79.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

$0.99 ៛4,007

-41.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$5.19 ៛21.0K

16.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.33 ៛5,372

16.54%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

$34.8K ៛141.0M

-34.32%

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$43.7K ៛177.0M

-37.69%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

$108 ៛437.8K

-37.65%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$7.45 ៛30.2K

311.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$24.59 ៛99.6K

51.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$40.52 ៛164.1K

51.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

$10.82 ៛43.8K

150.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$4.95 ៛20.0K

43.64%

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

$456 MX$7,739

$655 ៛2.7M

-30.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

$10.9K ៛44.1M

25.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$27.87 ៛112.9K

166.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$23.78 ៛96.3K

139.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$91.8 ៛371.7K

25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$59.9 ៛242.4K

103.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$630 ៛2.6M

82.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$364 ៛1.5M

95.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,156 ៛4.7M

123.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$819 ៛3.3M

58.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$2,860 ៛11.6M

40.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,538 ៛6.2M

38.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$327 ៛1.3M

231.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.07

40.02%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $630 in Phnom Penh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 231% 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 $40.00 in Phnom Penh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $252 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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,015 including rent). Phnom Penh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 231% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $630 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 127% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $655 in Phnom Penh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,015 in Phnom Penh versus $1,677 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.