Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $709 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,089 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,469 in Siem Reap.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 106% more expensive than in Siem Reap, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Siem Reap is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$2.49 ៛10.0K

424.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$23.88 ៛96.2K

125.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$6.97 ៛28.1K

38.88%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.64 ៛6,619

128.05%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.74 ៛2,996

118.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.51 ៛2,065

127.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$0.99 ៛3,985

226.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$1.93 ៛7,785

145.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.81 ៛7,300

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.38 ៛5,548

99.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.03 ៛4,140

81.55%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$1.64 ៛6,596

52.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$12.65 ៛51.0K

-19.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$3.59 ៛14.5K

129.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$10.21 ៛41.2K

15.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$3.61 ៛14.5K

-16.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.12 ៛4,524

61.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.39 ៛13.7K

-41.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.31 ៛5,279

52.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.25 ៛5,022

66.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$0.91 ៛3,670

149.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$1.30 ៛5,221

12.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.71 ៛2,868

52.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$1.92 ៛7,731

126.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$7.40 ៛29.8K

129.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$0.79 ៛3,195

118.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.68 ៛6,791

113.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.02 ៛4,122

-61.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.02 ៛4,109

30.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$0.98 ៛3,954

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$4.37 ៛17.6K

20.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.13 ៛4,540

18.58%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$48.5K ៛195.4M

-59.95%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$37.3K ៛150.2M

-36.05%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$73.1 ៛294.5K

-44.31%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$6.01 ៛24.2K

347.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$19.54 ៛78.8K

56.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$36.16 ៛145.8K

45.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$3.40 ៛13.7K

683.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.52 ៛18.2K

44.03%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$369 ៛1.5M

16.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,081 ៛20.5M

106.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$21.85 ៛88.1K

162.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$18.00 ៛72.6K

152.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$54.3 ៛218.9K

91.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$36.15 ៛145.7K

198.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$311 ៛1.3M

222.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$222 ៛894.2K

180.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$509 ៛2.1M

314.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$331 ៛1.3M

267.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$2,509 ៛10.1M

54.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,069 ៛4.3M

90.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$237 ៛956.0K

337.57%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $311 in Siem Reap. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 338% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $215 per month, with Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Siem Reap differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $709 including rent). Siem Reap is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 338% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $311 in Siem Reap. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $369 in Siem Reap. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Siem Reap – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $709 in Siem Reap versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siem Reap but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.