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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $479 in Poipet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $755 in Poipet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,031 in Poipet.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 210% more expensive than Poipet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Poipet is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$2.55 ៛10.2K

409.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$19.92 ៛80.0K

166.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$6.09 ៛24.5K

59.61%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.65 ៛6,639

127.27%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.68 ៛2,724

130.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.50 ៛2,027

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$0.98 ៛3,943

224.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$1.90 ៛7,621

145.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.72 ៛6,922

-5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.43 ៛5,757

89.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.32 ៛5,309

42.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.54 ៛6,202

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$14.64 ៛58.8K

-31.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.61 ៛14.5K

129.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$10.22 ៛41.1K

16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.67 ៛14.8K

-22.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.12 ៛4,488

56.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$3.41 ៛13.7K

-39.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.33 ៛5,324

48.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.23 ៛4,952

75.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$0.90 ៛3,617

142.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.35 ៛5,418

2.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.74 ៛2,992

51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$1.86 ៛7,491

125.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$7.47 ៛30.0K

90.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$0.73 ៛2,942

141.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.07 ៛8,295

77.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.98 ៛3,927

-69.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$4.95 ៛19.9K

9.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.13 ៛4,534

19.47%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

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

$40.82 MX$714

$73.3 ៛294.4K

-44.30%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$5.87 ៛23.6K

368.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$19.25 ៛77.3K

57.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.45 ៛25.9K

-2.79%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$402 ៛1.6M

8.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,977 ៛20.0M

110.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$33.49 ៛134.5K

69.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$18.17 ៛73.0K

146.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$54.9 ៛220.6K

87.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$36.87 ៛148.1K

192.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.2

23.26%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Poipet: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Poipet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $224 per month, with Poipet 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 Poipet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Poipet differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $479 including rent). Poipet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,225 in Mexico City and $718 in Poipet 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 $436 in Mexico City versus $402 in Poipet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Poipet – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $479 in Poipet versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Poipet but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Poipet 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 Poipet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.