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: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $479 in Poipet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $755 in Poipet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,032 in Poipet.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 202% more expensive than Poipet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Poipet is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$2.54 ៛10.2K

410.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$19.66 ៛79.0K

166.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$6.02 ៛24.2K

60.96%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$1.61 ៛6,459

132.92%

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

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.74 ៛2,991

110.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.51 ៛2,039

127.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$0.98 ៛3,930

230.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$1.91 ៛7,676

156.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.76 ៛7,072

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.42 ៛5,722

88.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.32 ៛5,313

43.18%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$1.61 ៛6,491

56.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$14.38 ៛57.8K

-30.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$3.53 ៛14.2K

141.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$10.42 ៛41.9K

14.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$3.65 ៛14.7K

-18.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.13 ៛4,531

58.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$3.26 ៛13.1K

-38.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.27 ៛5,119

54.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.30 ៛5,229

66.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$0.91 ៛3,671

149.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$1.37 ៛5,506

2.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.74 ៛2,966

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$1.84 ៛7,396

128.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$7.52 ៛30.2K

119.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$0.74 ៛2,984

127.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.99 ៛8,010

80.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$1.01 ៛4,072

-70.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$4.93 ៛19.8K

9.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.07 ៛4,302

20.56%

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

$18.9K MX$325.1K

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

$23.8K MX$409.5K

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

$39.86 MX$686

$74.2 ៛298.3K

-46.29%

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

$27.83 MX$479

$5.92 ៛23.8K

370.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$19.82 ៛79.7K

50.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$6.45 ៛25.9K

-2.79%

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

$433 MX$7,443

$401 ៛1.6M

7.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$5,067 ៛20.4M

107.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$33.39 ៛134.2K

70.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$18.08 ៛72.7K

150.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$55.8 ៛224.1K

82.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$36.37 ៛146.2K

198.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Poipet: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Poipet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $223 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 202% in total monthly costs ($1,448 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 $2,173 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 $433 in Mexico City versus $401 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $479 in Poipet versus $1,448 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 202% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.