Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $646 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$646

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambon and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambon and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $646 in Ambon versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Ambon $646
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Ambon versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Ambon $1,021
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,397 in Ambon versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Ambon $1,397
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Ambon costs roughly 60% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ambon is 53% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$10.62 MX$199

-89.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.36 Rp 240.8K

$48.35 MX$904

-72.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.91 Rp 70.5K

$10.35 MX$193

-62.22%

Cappuccino

$1.45 Rp 26.2K

$3.69 MX$69.0

-60.70%

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

$0.45 Rp 8,115

$1.67 MX$31.14

-73.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,037

$1.27 MX$23.65

-77.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$3.19 MX$59.7

-31.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 Rp 60.6K

$5.31 MX$99.2

-36.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.72 MX$32.23

-40.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

$3.04 MX$56.8

-68.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$1.94 MX$36.27

-56.19%

Eggs

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$2.89 MX$54.0

-51.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.05 Rp 127.1K

$10.97 MX$205

-35.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$9.25 MX$173

-68.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 Rp 133.0K

$15.13 MX$283

-51.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.3K

$3.05 MX$57.0

-28.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$1.94 MX$36.27

-32.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

$2.03 MX$37.85

-23.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.6K

$2.31 MX$43.25

-48.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$2.04 MX$38.03

-40.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

$1.80 MX$33.63

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

$1.48 MX$27.64

-41.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,599

$1.27 MX$23.69

-66.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

$5.30 MX$99.1

-58.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.08 Rp 379.9K

$16.10 MX$301

30.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 Rp 33.8K

$1.98 MX$37.06

-5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

$4.25 MX$79.5

-29.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,583

$0.31 MX$5.70

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.46 Rp 206.7K

$19.73 MX$369

-41.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 Rp 9,287

$1.84 MX$34.34

-71.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,711

$0.53 MX$9.97

-30.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 Rp 50.1K

$5.30 MX$99.0

-47.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.51 MX$28.23

-46.36%

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

$21.6K Rp 390.2M

$21.8K MX$406.5K

-0.50%

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

$34.5K Rp 621.8M

$24.0K MX$448.2K

43.81%

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

$71.4 Rp 1.3M

$63.0 MX$1,177

13.35%

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

$5.55 Rp 100.1K

$27.39 MX$512

-79.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 Rp 335.5K

$35.67 MX$666

-47.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.34 Rp 330.5K

$58.9 MX$1,101

-68.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 Rp 152.5K

$23.64 MX$442

-64.21%

Cinema Ticket

$1.40 Rp 25.2K

$6.40 MX$120

-78.13%

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

$100 Rp 1.8M

$432 MX$8,065

-76.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,411 Rp 151.6M

$11.4K MX$213.5K

-26.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.94 Rp 792.1K

$68.2 MX$1,275

-35.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 Rp 570.8K

$53.1 MX$993

-40.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

$108 MX$2,014

-30.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

$117 MX$2,191

-40.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 Rp 4.5M

$1,113 MX$20.8K

-77.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$710 MX$13.3K

-76.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 Rp 9.6M

$2,588 MX$48.4K

-79.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 Rp 7.2M

$1,406 MX$26.3K

-71.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,237 Rp 22.3M

$3,631 MX$67.8K

-65.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 Rp 12.8M

$2,135 MX$39.9K

-66.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$122 Rp 2.2M

$946 MX$17.7K

-87.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

11.35

-16.65%

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

Last update for Ambon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambon

$191 29.6%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 67.1% $128

Accommodation & Living

Ambon

$165 25.6%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 329% $545

Clothing & Footwear

Ambon

$99 15.3%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 57.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambon

$96 14.8%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 31.9% $30

Eating Out

Ambon

$59 9.1%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 239% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Ambon

$21 3.3%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 239% $51

Getting Around

Ambon

$15 2.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 71.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $250 in Ambon and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays about 7.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Ambon vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $320 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ambon

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

08:05 8:05 AM

15 h behind Ambon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,888

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ambon Mexico City 14,600 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambon
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ambon vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Ambon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $250 in Ambon versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $646 per month in Ambon versus $1,608 in Mexico City – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 42% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $646 in Ambon versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon 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 Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.