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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $515 in Poipet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $812 in Poipet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,108 in Poipet.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 222% more expensive than in Poipet, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Poipet is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$2.52 ៛10.2K

373.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$20.06 ៛81.2K

157.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$5.94 ៛24.1K

92.09%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$1.65 ៛6,676

141.82%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$0.66 ៛2,673

151.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.43 ៛1,735

209.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$1.03 ៛4,155

236.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$1.95 ៛7,885

202.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$2.21 ៛8,950

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$1.67 ៛6,758

94.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.08 ៛4,366

100.00%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$1.71 ៛6,936

69.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$14.27 ៛57.8K

-9.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$2.74 ៛11.1K

266.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$9.81 ៛39.7K

61.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$4.21 ៛17.0K

-21.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$1.23 ៛4,987

63.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$3.84 ៛15.5K

-42.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$1.08 ៛4,380

118.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$1.29 ៛5,216

58.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.08 ៛4,385

75.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$1.30 ៛5,253

23.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.81 ៛3,268

72.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$1.54 ៛6,231

254.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$7.29 ៛29.5K

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.00 ៛4,040

106.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.31 ៛9,341

102.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$2.05 ៛8,309

2.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$0.97 ៛3,934

-42.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$5.07 ៛20.5K

14.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.25 ៛5,044

28.80%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$25.3K ៛102.5M

-9.81%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$22.4K ៛90.5M

19.61%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$105 ៛424.4K

-37.82%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$5.99 ៛24.2K

402.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$14.65 ៛59.3K

153.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.93 ៛19.9K

42.80%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$277 ៛1.1M

67.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$4,411 ៛17.9M

200.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$25.87 ៛104.7K

193.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$13.46 ៛54.5K

315.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$71.3 ៛288.8K

56.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$44.21 ៛179.0K

172.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

9.2

22.83%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Poipet: September 15, 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 $345 vs $230 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 222% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $515 including rent). Poipet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $773 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 $465 in Mexico City versus $277 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 $515 in Poipet versus $1,660 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 222% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.