Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $647 in Bandung versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Bandung versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,251 in Bandung versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Bandung costs roughly 56% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bandung is 52% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.28 Rp 22.9K

$13.18 MX$228

-90.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.42 Rp 168.9K

$53.9 MX$934

-82.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$9.42 MX$163

-63.59%

Cappuccino

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$3.55 MX$61.5

-59.44%

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

$0.49 Rp 8,717

$1.62 MX$28.03

-69.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,452

$1.11 MX$19.31

-77.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.12 MX$54.1

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$4.63 MX$80.2

-22.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.70 MX$29.48

-30.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$2.72 MX$47.10

-60.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

$1.91 MX$33.13

-50.79%

Eggs

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

$2.54 MX$43.94

-37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 Rp 167.3K

$10.03 MX$174

-6.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 Rp 54.2K

$8.09 MX$140

-62.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 Rp 142.0K

$11.62 MX$201

-31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$2.97 MX$51.4

-20.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

$1.81 MX$31.30

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.3K

$2.01 MX$34.88

-15.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.2K

$2.03 MX$35.26

-25.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

$2.12 MX$36.82

-30.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 Rp 47.8K

$2.27 MX$39.32

17.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

$1.40 MX$24.26

-31.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,234

$1.13 MX$19.59

-59.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 Rp 46.0K

$4.27 MX$74.0

-39.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.35 Rp 400.7K

$15.56 MX$270

43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

$1.76 MX$30.44

19.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 Rp 62.5K

$3.60 MX$62.3

-3.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,362

$0.38 MX$6.64

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 Rp 189.5K

$19.18 MX$332

-44.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$1.38 MX$23.84

-44.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

$0.28 MX$4.79

153.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 Rp 46.4K

$5.45 MX$94.4

-52.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$1.30 MX$22.60

-37.69%

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

$24.4K Rp 437.0M

$18.7K MX$323.8K

30.44%

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

$26.4K Rp 473.3M

$23.1K MX$400.8K

14.15%

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

$43.12 Rp 773.0K

$40.86 MX$708

5.53%

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

$4.52 Rp 81.1K

$26.81 MX$465

-83.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.94 Rp 411.3K

$29.96 MX$519

-23.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.48 Rp 385.1K

$52.0 MX$901

-58.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.62 Rp 118.7K

$26.84 MX$465

-75.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 56.6K

$6.30 MX$109

-49.84%

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

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

$436 MX$7,558

-78.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,577 Rp 135.8M

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-27.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.84 Rp 750.1K

$56.7 MX$982

-26.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.57 Rp 547.9K

$44.38 MX$769

-31.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 Rp 1.1M

$103 MX$1,784

-42.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

$106 MX$1,829

-39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 Rp 4.2M

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-77.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$631 MX$10.9K

-75.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 Rp 8.0M

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-79.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 Rp 4.4M

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-80.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$723 Rp 13.0M

$3,903 MX$67.6K

-81.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$309 Rp 5.5M

$2,064 MX$35.8K

-85.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 Rp 5.1M

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-74.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.34

-19.31%

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

Last update for Bandung: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $234 in Bandung and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 293% 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: $9.00 in Bandung vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $288 per month, with Bandung 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

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

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mexico City earns 293% less. 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: $234 in Bandung versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $647 in Bandung versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $647 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bandung and Mexico City 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 Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.