Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $468 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$468

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $468 per month in Malang vs $1,674 in Mexico City, rent included.

Malang $468
Mexico City $1,674

A couple spends around $717 per month in Malang vs $2,606 in Mexico City, rent included.

Malang $717
Mexico City $2,606

A family of three spends $966 per month in Malang vs $3,537 in Mexico City, rent included.

Malang $966
Mexico City $3,537

Malang is about 72% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malang sits 65% below the global median, while Mexico City is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

$10.59 MX$198

-89.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.13 Rp 201.5K

$52.0 MX$972

-78.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

$10.73 MX$201

-74.09%

Cappuccino

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

$3.80 MX$71.0

-65.79%

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

$0.66 Rp 12.0K

$1.61 MX$30.16

-59.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,790

$1.21 MX$22.67

-82.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 Rp 39.2K

$3.18 MX$59.4

-31.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 Rp 72.9K

$5.44 MX$102

-25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.72 MX$32.13

-41.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

$2.97 MX$55.5

-63.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.93 MX$36.02

-60.62%

Eggs

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$2.77 MX$51.9

-55.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.84 Rp 105.7K

$11.67 MX$218

-49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 Rp 52.6K

$9.48 MX$177

-69.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.87 Rp 124.4K

$15.37 MX$288

-55.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 Rp 36.8K

$3.10 MX$58.1

-34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

$1.96 MX$36.67

-33.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

$1.98 MX$37.07

-21.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

$2.34 MX$43.68

-40.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

$2.02 MX$37.85

-35.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 Rp 33.8K

$1.82 MX$34.13

2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 Rp 8,885

$1.54 MX$28.89

-68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,740

$1.31 MX$24.54

-67.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 Rp 49.0K

$5.35 MX$100

-49.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 Rp 224.4K

$16.19 MX$303

-23.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

$1.96 MX$36.64

-13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Rp 53.2K

$4.35 MX$81.4

-32.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.30 MX$5.70

113.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.41 Rp 97.9K

$19.49 MX$365

-72.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,447

$1.92 MX$35.86

-75.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,304

$0.47 MX$8.84

-14.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.4K

$5.41 MX$101

3.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

$1.48 MX$27.75

-47.97%

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

$24.9K Rp 450.6M

$21.4K MX$399.7K

16.45%

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

$26.9K Rp 487.3M

$23.8K MX$444.3K

13.32%

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

$30.94 Rp 560.1K

$62.0 MX$1,160

-50.09%

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

$2.30 Rp 41.6K

$28.47 MX$533

-91.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.02 Rp 344.4K

$34.11 MX$638

-44.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.09 Rp 255.1K

$58.4 MX$1,092

-75.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.59 Rp 83.1K

$24.50 MX$458

-81.27%

Cinema Ticket

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

$6.59 MX$123

-70.11%

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

$30.83 Rp 558.2K

$434 MX$8,122

-92.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,104 Rp 74.3M

$14.0K MX$262.5K

-70.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 995.9K

$68.4 MX$1,278

-19.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.34 Rp 404.4K

$54.8 MX$1,025

-59.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 Rp 916.0K

$111 MX$2,073

-54.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.51 Rp 661.0K

$116 MX$2,169

-68.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 Rp 2.5M

$1,179 MX$22.1K

-88.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.7 Rp 1.7M

$771 MX$14.4K

-88.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 Rp 3.5M

$2,570 MX$48.1K

-92.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 Rp 2.8M

$1,420 MX$26.6K

-89.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$195 Rp 3.5M

$1,003 MX$18.8K

-80.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-64.76%

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

Last update for Malang: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malang

$166 35.6%

Mexico City

$324 19.3% 94.5% $157

Accommodation & Living

Malang

$92 19.6%

Mexico City

$771 46.1% 741% $679

Clothing & Footwear

Malang

$74 15.8%

Mexico City

$158 9.4% 113% $83

Eating Out

Malang

$55 11.8%

Mexico City

$201 12% 264% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malang

$52 11.2%

Mexico City

$125 7.4% 138% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Malang

$18 3.9%

Mexico City

$72 4.3% 297% $54

Getting Around

Malang

$10 2.2%

Mexico City

$25 1.5% 139% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $140 in Malang versus $1,179 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mexico City are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Malang versus $52 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $324 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Malang

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

20:23 8:23 PM

13 h behind Malang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

857,891

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 = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,231 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Malang Mexico City 16,360 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Malang
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

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

Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 258%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $702 per month in Malang and $2,510 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $140 there versus $1,179 in Mexico City.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $31 per month in Malang and $434 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malang, where all-in costs run around $468, than in Mexico City at $1,674. In Malang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Malang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Malang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.