Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manado and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Manado: $562 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Manado, Indonesia
Mexico City, Mexico
Manado
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$562
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $562 per month in Manado vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Manado $562
  • Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $888 per month in Manado vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Manado $888
  • Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $1,214 per month in Manado vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

  • Manado $1,214
  • Mexico City $3,490

Manado is about 65% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Manado sits 59% below the global median, while Mexico City is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.42 Rp 25.8K
$10.62 MX$197
-86.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.22 Rp 294.5K
$48.35 MX$898
-66.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.80 Rp 50.9K
$10.35 MX$192
-72.95%
Cappuccino
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
$3.69 MX$68.5
-53.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.61 Rp 11.0K
$1.67 MX$30.95
-63.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 Rp 4,573
$1.27 MX$23.50
-80.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.36 Rp 61.0K
$3.19 MX$59.3
5.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 Rp 48.7K
$5.31 MX$98.6
-49.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 Rp 24.7K
$1.72 MX$32.03
-20.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.04 Rp 18.8K
$3.04 MX$56.5
-65.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.71 Rp 12.9K
$1.94 MX$36.05
-63.40%
Eggs
$1.86 Rp 33.8K
$2.89 MX$53.6
-35.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.53 Rp 300.2K
$10.97 MX$204
50.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.68 Rp 48.7K
$9.25 MX$172
-71.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.38 Rp 116.0K
$15.13 MX$281
-57.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.25 Rp 40.9K
$3.05 MX$56.6
-26.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 Rp 26.2K
$1.94 MX$36.05
-25.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 Rp 22.9K
$2.03 MX$37.61
-37.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.95 Rp 17.3K
$2.31 MX$42.99
-58.87%
Potato (1kg)
$0.83 Rp 15.1K
$2.04 MX$37.79
-59.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.77 Rp 50.3K
$1.80 MX$33.43
53.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 Rp 16.4K
$1.48 MX$27.47
-39.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,781
$1.27 MX$23.54
-66.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 Rp 42.9K
$5.30 MX$98.5
-55.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.63 Rp 374.6K
$16.10 MX$299
28.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 Rp 33.0K
$1.98 MX$36.83
-8.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 Rp 53.2K
$4.25 MX$79.0
-31.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 Rp 5,635
$0.31 MX$5.67
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.15 Rp 220.6K
$19.73 MX$367
-38.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.53 Rp 9,616
$1.84 MX$34.13
-71.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 Rp 5,703
$0.53 MX$9.91
-41.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 Rp 47.4K
$5.30 MX$98.3
-50.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 Rp 10.8K
$1.51 MX$28.05
-60.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.2K Rp 456.8M
$21.8K MX$404.0K
15.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K Rp 569.3M
$24.0K MX$445.4K
30.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$53.0 Rp 962.0K
$63.0 MX$1,170
-15.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.44 Rp 80.6K
$27.39 MX$509
-83.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.98 Rp 254.0K
$35.67 MX$662
-60.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$12.65 Rp 229.8K
$58.9 MX$1,095
-78.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.42 Rp 152.9K
$23.64 MX$439
-64.38%
Cinema Ticket
$2.44 Rp 44.3K
$6.40 MX$119
-61.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$124 Rp 2.3M
$432 MX$8,015
-71.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,574 Rp 83.1M
$11.4K MX$212.1K
-59.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.9 Rp 996.8K
$68.2 MX$1,267
-19.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.80 Rp 359.5K
$53.1 MX$987
-62.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
$108 MX$2,002
-37.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$61.3 Rp 1.1M
$117 MX$2,178
-47.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$244 Rp 4.4M
$1,113 MX$20.7K
-78.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$81.3 Rp 1.5M
$710 MX$13.2K
-88.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$299 Rp 5.4M
$2,588 MX$48.1K
-88.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$171 Rp 3.1M
$1,406 MX$26.1K
-87.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,138 Rp 20.7M
$3,631 MX$67.4K
-68.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$787 Rp 14.3M
$2,135 MX$39.6K
-63.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manado
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$212 Rp 3.9M
$946 MX$17.6K
-77.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10
11.35
-11.89%

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

Last update for Manado: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Manado
$219
Mexico City
$320 45.8% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Manado
$92
Mexico City
$156 70% $64
Accommodation & Living
Manado
$81
Mexico City
$710 774% $629
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manado
$71
Mexico City
$126 76.6% $55
Eating Out
Manado
$66
Mexico City
$199 202% $133
Sport & Entertainment
Manado
$18
Mexico City
$72 309% $54
Getting Around
Manado
$15
Mexico City
$25 64.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Manado versus $1,113 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 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Manado versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $320 – making Manado the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Manado
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
13:14 1:14 PM
23:14 11:14 PM
14 h behind Manado
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
423,257
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,355 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Manado Mexico City 14,680 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Manado
  • 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
Manado vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manado cheaper than Mexico City?
Yes – Mexico City is pricier by about 186%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $843 per month in Manado and $2,412 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manado, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $1,113 in Mexico City.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 38% less in Manado. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $124 per month in Manado and $432 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Manado or in Mexico City?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manado, where all-in costs run around $562, than in Mexico City at $1,608. In Manado it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Manado or Mexico City more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Manado – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Manado. 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.

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