Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Binjai and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Binjai
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Binjai Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Binjai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Binjai 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 Binjai and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $638 in Binjai versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

Binjai $638
Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,029 in Binjai versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

Binjai $1,029
Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,421 in Binjai versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

Binjai $1,421
Mexico City $3,490

Living in Binjai 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: Binjai is 53% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$10.62 MX$199

-83.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.06 Rp 272.9K

$48.35 MX$908

-68.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

$10.35 MX$194

-72.85%

Cappuccino

$1.33 Rp 24.1K

$3.69 MX$69.3

-63.96%

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

$0.48 Rp 8,699

$1.67 MX$31.29

-71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,635

$1.27 MX$23.76

-84.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 45.1K

$3.19 MX$59.9

-21.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 Rp 56.5K

$5.31 MX$99.6

-41.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 Rp 18.8K

$1.72 MX$32.38

-39.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$3.04 MX$57.1

-69.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

$1.94 MX$36.44

-58.76%

Eggs

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$2.89 MX$54.2

-56.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 Rp 112.8K

$10.97 MX$206

-43.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 Rp 57.1K

$9.25 MX$174

-65.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 Rp 135.6K

$15.13 MX$284

-50.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$3.05 MX$57.2

-20.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

$1.94 MX$36.45

-32.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 Rp 32.1K

$2.03 MX$38.02

-12.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$2.31 MX$43.46

-45.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$2.04 MX$38.21

-31.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

$1.80 MX$33.79

8.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.48 MX$27.77

-45.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 6,978

$1.27 MX$23.80

-69.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$5.30 MX$99.6

-54.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 Rp 391.2K

$16.10 MX$302

34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 Rp 36.4K

$1.98 MX$37.23

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 Rp 57.9K

$4.25 MX$79.8

-24.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,845

$0.31 MX$5.73

-32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.00 Rp 181.2K

$19.73 MX$371

-49.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,501

$1.84 MX$34.50

-74.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,505

$0.53 MX$10.02

-32.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 Rp 57.6K

$5.30 MX$99.4

-40.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.51 MX$28.36

-37.75%

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

$20.3K Rp 368.7M

$21.8K MX$408.4K

-6.47%

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

$30.1K Rp 545.5M

$24.0K MX$450.3K

25.51%

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

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

$63.0 MX$1,182

9.05%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.8K

$27.39 MX$514

-85.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.11 Rp 328.1K

$35.67 MX$670

-49.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.19 Rp 365.9K

$58.9 MX$1,107

-65.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.73 Rp 158.2K

$23.64 MX$444

-63.07%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 Rp 52.2K

$6.40 MX$120

-55.00%

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

$105 Rp 1.9M

$432 MX$8,103

-75.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 Rp 146.0M

$11.4K MX$214.5K

-29.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.93 Rp 777.9K

$68.2 MX$1,281

-37.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.03 Rp 489.8K

$53.1 MX$997

-49.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

$108 MX$2,023

-21.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

$117 MX$2,202

-46.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 Rp 3.7M

$1,113 MX$20.9K

-81.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$710 MX$13.3K

-78.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 Rp 9.0M

$2,588 MX$48.6K

-80.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 Rp 7.4M

$1,406 MX$26.4K

-70.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,207 Rp 21.9M

$3,631 MX$68.2K

-66.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$752 Rp 13.6M

$2,135 MX$40.1K

-64.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

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 Binjai: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Binjai

$194 30.4%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 64.9% $126

Accommodation & Living

Binjai

$156 24.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 355% $554

Clothing & Footwear

Binjai

$98 15.3%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 59.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Binjai

$91 14.2%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 39% $35

Eating Out

Binjai

$60 9.4%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 230% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Binjai

$26 4.1%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 176% $46

Getting Around

Binjai

$13 2.1%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 94.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Binjai and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Binjai vs $48 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $320 per month, with Binjai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Binjai

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

13:23 1:23 PM

13 h behind Binjai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,901

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Binjai Mexico City 16,810 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Binjai
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

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

Binjai is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $956 in Binjai and $2,412 in Mexico City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $204 in Binjai 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 $638 per month in Binjai versus $1,608 in Mexico City – Binjai is about 60% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 49% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $638 in Binjai versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Binjai but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Binjai 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 Binjai 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.