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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $476 in Poipet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $765 in Poipet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $1,055 in Poipet.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 210% more expensive than in 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

$13.14 MX$227

$2.56 ៛10.3K

413.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$19.97 ៛80.6K

168.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$6.05 ៛24.4K

54.21%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$1.67 ៛6,750

121.56%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$0.69 ៛2,767

131.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.48 ៛1,929

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$0.98 ៛3,969

220.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$1.83 ៛7,400

165.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.81 ៛7,306

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$1.38 ៛5,581

96.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.30 ៛5,235

46.92%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$1.62 ៛6,555

59.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$14.75 ៛59.6K

-33.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$3.62 ៛14.6K

132.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$10.30 ៛41.6K

15.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$3.71 ៛15.0K

-20.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.08 ៛4,345

61.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$3.39 ៛13.7K

-39.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$1.27 ៛5,130

62.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.24 ៛5,018

73.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$0.97 ៛3,899

132.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$1.36 ៛5,496

2.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.70 ៛2,812

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$1.92 ៛7,770

119.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$7.27 ៛29.3K

140.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$0.78 ៛3,151

119.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.01 ៛8,098

80.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$1.01 ៛4,095

-72.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$5.14 ៛20.7K

2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.12 ៛4,514

21.43%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

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

$40.53 MX$701

$75.6 ៛305.2K

-46.37%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$6.11 ៛24.7K

348.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$19.44 ៛78.5K

56.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.58 ៛26.6K

-5.93%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$395 ៛1.6M

7.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$4,901 ៛19.8M

119.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$33.24 ៛134.2K

75.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$18.57 ៛75.0K

140.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$55.5 ៛224.0K

86.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$36.04 ៛145.5K

201.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Poipet: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $20.00 in Poipet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 ($1,472 vs $476 including rent). Poipet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $713 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 $425 in Mexico City versus $395 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $476 in Poipet versus $1,472 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.