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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $805 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,259 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,713 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 21% above, Siem Reap is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$2.47 ៛9,989

382.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$24.31 ៛98.4K

112.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$8.19 ៛33.2K

39.32%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$1.68 ៛6,801

137.50%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.72 ៛2,916

130.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.42 ៛1,697

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$0.97 ៛3,931

257.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.03 ៛8,206

190.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$2.25 ៛9,096

-16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$1.75 ៛7,070

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.04 ៛4,192

107.69%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.74 ៛7,042

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$14.28 ៛57.8K

-9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$2.63 ៛10.7K

282.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$9.98 ៛40.4K

58.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$4.28 ៛17.3K

-23.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.28 ៛5,199

57.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$3.82 ៛15.5K

-42.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$1.05 ៛4,239

124.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$1.29 ៛5,209

58.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.12 ៛4,533

69.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.30 ៛5,253

23.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.78 ៛3,149

79.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$1.46 ៛5,903

273.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.51 ៛30.4K

135.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$0.99 ៛4,000

108.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.32 ៛9,410

101.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.98 ៛3,961

-65.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$14.87 ៛60.2K

39.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$1.96 ៛7,927

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.02 ៛4,136

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$4.92 ៛19.9K

18.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.31 ៛5,288

22.90%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$25.0K ៛101.2M

-8.62%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$22.8K ៛92.2M

17.44%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$108 ៛437.7K

-39.72%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$6.03 ៛24.4K

399.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$14.72 ៛59.6K

152.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$35.06 ៛141.9K

70.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$14.14 ៛57.2K

87.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$4.88 ៛19.8K

44.26%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$282 ៛1.1M

64.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$4,441 ៛18.0M

198.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$26.71 ៛108.1K

184.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$13.10 ៛53.0K

327.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$69.7 ៛282.1K

60.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$44.89 ៛181.7K

168.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$330 ៛1.3M

234.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$232 ៛939.3K

210.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$684 ៛2.8M

269.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$442 ៛1.8M

192.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$2,460 ៛10.0M

62.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,067 ៛4.3M

95.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$237 ៛958.3K

338.18%

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 Siem Reap: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $330 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Siem Reap for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $232 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 ($1,660 vs $805 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $330 in Siem Reap. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Siem Reap runs roughly 40% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $282 in Siem Reap. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Siem Reap versus $1,660 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.