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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $720 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,073 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,426 in Siem Reap.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 104% more expensive than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Siem Reap is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.54 ៛10.2K

418.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$24.11 ៛96.9K

123.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.92 ៛27.8K

36.13%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.67 ៛6,719

112.57%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.69 ៛2,768

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.51 ៛2,059

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$0.98 ៛3,937

218.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$1.93 ៛7,744

139.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.81 ៛7,271

-6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.38 ៛5,546

97.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.03 ៛4,151

85.44%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.62 ៛6,496

56.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$13.00 ៛52.3K

-22.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.64 ៛14.6K

122.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.42 ៛41.9K

11.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.65 ៛14.7K

-18.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.07 ៛4,315

69.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.43 ៛13.8K

-41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.31 ៛5,277

54.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.24 ៛4,984

70.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$0.95 ៛3,820

138.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.36 ៛5,471

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.67 ៛2,681

68.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$1.91 ៛7,662

123.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.46 ៛30.0K

108.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$0.73 ៛2,934

141.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.68 ៛6,740

114.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.01 ៛4,066

-62.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.03 ៛4,159

33.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.98 ៛3,954

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.60 ៛18.5K

18.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.08 ៛4,326

20.37%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$49.0K ៛196.9M

-61.85%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$37.0K ៛148.6M

-37.41%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$73.1 ៛294.0K

-44.11%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$6.13 ៛24.7K

337.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$19.40 ៛78.0K

54.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$36.31 ៛146.0K

43.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$3.52 ៛14.2K

662.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.46 ៛17.9K

41.26%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$375 ៛1.5M

16.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$4,917 ៛19.8M

111.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$22.56 ៛90.7K

151.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$18.51 ៛74.4K

139.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$54.1 ៛217.6K

90.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$36.22 ៛145.6K

191.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$315 ៛1.3M

224.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$216 ៛868.5K

192.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$497 ៛2.0M

329.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$319 ៛1.3M

289.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$2,470 ៛9.9M

58.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,106 ៛4.4M

86.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$239 ៛959.9K

367.08%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $315 in Siem Reap. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 367% 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 $288 vs $217 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 104% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $720 including rent). Siem Reap is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 367% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $315 in Siem Reap. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $375 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 $720 in Siem Reap versus $1,467 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 104% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.