Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denpasar, Bali and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Denpasar, Bali: $896 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Denpasar, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$896
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,561
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $896 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

  • Denpasar, Bali $896
  • Mexico City $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,522 in Denpasar, Bali versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

  • Denpasar, Bali $1,522
  • Mexico City $2,440

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,148 in Denpasar, Bali versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

  • Denpasar, Bali $2,148
  • Mexico City $3,319

Living in Denpasar, Bali costs roughly 43% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Denpasar, Bali is 33% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.20 Rp 39.4K
$11.12 MX$202
-80.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.17 Rp 414.6K
$48.99 MX$891
-52.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.91 Rp 70.0K
$11.23 MX$204
-65.18%
Cappuccino
$1.75 Rp 31.4K
$3.76 MX$68.4
-53.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 Rp 19.3K
$1.65 MX$30.05
-34.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,211
$1.28 MX$23.27
-60.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.82 Rp 32.6K
$3.26 MX$59.2
-44.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.3K
$5.66 MX$103
-47.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 Rp 22.8K
$1.81 MX$32.92
-29.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 Rp 33.4K
$2.94 MX$53.5
-36.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 Rp 18.1K
$2.05 MX$37.27
-50.73%
Eggs
$1.74 Rp 31.1K
$2.93 MX$53.2
-40.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.76 Rp 246.1K
$11.95 MX$217
15.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.20 Rp 57.2K
$9.51 MX$173
-66.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.61 Rp 171.9K
$14.84 MX$270
-35.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 Rp 52.9K
$3.14 MX$57.2
-6.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 Rp 22.5K
$2.01 MX$36.65
-37.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 Rp 32.5K
$2.08 MX$37.75
-12.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 Rp 27.9K
$2.22 MX$40.35
-29.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.3K
$2.06 MX$37.47
-26.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 Rp 35.0K
$1.88 MX$34.14
4.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 Rp 13.9K
$1.48 MX$26.93
-47.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,743
$1.35 MX$24.47
-68.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.85 Rp 33.1K
$5.41 MX$98.4
-65.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.22 Rp 326.0K
$16.86 MX$307
8.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 Rp 34.7K
$1.98 MX$36.09
-2.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
$4.32 MX$78.7
-44.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,304
$0.34 MX$6.27
-29.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.17 Rp 128.3K
$20.23 MX$368
-64.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 Rp 7,112
$2.10 MX$38.11
-80.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,428
$0.53 MX$9.65
-20.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 Rp 55.9K
$5.41 MX$98.3
-42.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.75 Rp 13.4K
$1.52 MX$27.65
-50.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K Rp 384.3M
$21.7K MX$395.3K
-1.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K Rp 501.7M
$24.8K MX$451.4K
13.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.7 Rp 1.3M
$63.0 MX$1,145
15.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.91 Rp 105.7K
$28.88 MX$525
-79.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.47 Rp 294.6K
$33.93 MX$617
-51.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.87 Rp 713.2K
$55.8 MX$1,015
-28.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.71 Rp 227.4K
$24.90 MX$453
-48.96%
Cinema Ticket
$3.01 Rp 53.8K
$6.77 MX$123
-55.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$381 Rp 6.8M
$428 MX$7,781
-10.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,359 Rp 78.0M
$11.9K MX$216.0K
-63.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.61 Rp 708.5K
$70.0 MX$1,274
-43.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.69 Rp 531.2K
$53.7 MX$977
-44.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
$110 MX$1,997
-38.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.1 Rp 1.2M
$115 MX$2,096
-40.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$594 Rp 10.6M
$1,062 MX$19.3K
-44.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$353 Rp 6.3M
$671 MX$12.2K
-47.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,822 Rp 32.6M
$2,379 MX$43.3K
-23.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 Rp 16.4M
$1,260 MX$22.9K
-27.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,461 Rp 26.1M
$3,716 MX$67.6K
-60.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,189 Rp 21.3M
$1,976 MX$35.9K
-39.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Denpasar, Bali
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$284 Rp 5.1M
$997 MX$18.1K
-71.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
11.3
21.95%

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

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Denpasar, Bali
$353
Mexico City
$671 90.1% $318
Groceries & Markets
Denpasar, Bali
$234
Mexico City
$327 39.9% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Denpasar, Bali
$95
Mexico City
$126 32.3% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Denpasar, Bali
$92
Mexico City
$157 69.9% $65
Eating Out
Denpasar, Bali
$72
Mexico City
$207 188% $135
Sport & Entertainment
Denpasar, Bali
$46
Mexico City
$69 51.1% $23
Getting Around
Denpasar, Bali
$11
Mexico City
$26 148% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $594 in Denpasar, Bali and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 251% 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: $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $327 per month, with Denpasar, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
10:01 10:01 AM
20:01 8:01 PM
14 h behind Denpasar, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
788,445
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Denpasar, Bali Mexico City 16,130 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Denpasar, Bali
  • 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
Denpasar, Bali vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Denpasar, Bali and in Mexico City?
Denpasar, Bali and Mexico City differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($896 vs $1,561 including rent). Denpasar, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 251% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Denpasar, Bali and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $594 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Denpasar, Bali or Mexico City?
All in, you'll spend $896 per month in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,561 in Mexico City – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Denpasar, Bali and in Mexico City?
A monthly transit pass in Denpasar, Bali runs roughly 182% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $896 in Denpasar, Bali versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Denpasar, Bali but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Denpasar, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Denpasar, Bali and Mexico City?
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.
Is Denpasar, Bali or Mexico City safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Denpasar, Bali 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.
Where should expats move: Denpasar, Bali or Mexico City?
Expats usually find Denpasar, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Denpasar, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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