Comparación del coste de vida entre Mexico City y Balikpapan Comparación del coste de vida entre Mexico City y Balikpapan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $774 in Balikpapan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,193 in Balikpapan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,612 in Balikpapan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 92% more expensive than Balikpapan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Balikpapan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$1.52 Rp 26.4K

753.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$15.63 Rp 270.8K

239.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.42 Rp 59.3K

184.21%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.81 Rp 31.4K

107.18%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.44 Rp 7,629

256.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.39 Rp 6,718

189.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.03 Rp 35.2K

56.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.16 Rp 54.8K

47.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.79 Rp 31.0K

-9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.23 Rp 21.4K

120.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.28 Rp 22.1K

46.87%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.66 Rp 46.1K

-5.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$7.92 Rp 137.3K

27.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.80 Rp 83.2K

72.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.99 Rp 138.5K

49.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$3.64 Rp 63.1K

-21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.50 Rp 26.0K

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$2.13 Rp 36.9K

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.19 Rp 20.7K

65.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.86 Rp 32.2K

16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$3.77 Rp 65.3K

-42.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$1.00 Rp 17.3K

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.81 Rp 14.0K

38.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.06 Rp 35.8K

103.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$22.43 Rp 388.8K

-36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.18 Rp 37.7K

-19.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$4.38 Rp 76.0K

-15.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.62 Rp 10.8K

-37.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$9.73 Rp 168.7K

91.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$1.24 Rp 21.6K

12.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.34 Rp 5,934

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$6.05 Rp 104.8K

-10.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.78 Rp 13.5K

73.08%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$24.6K Rp 425.9M

-23.15%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$25.9K Rp 448.9M

-10.61%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$91.7 Rp 1.6M

-55.50%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$3.06 Rp 53.0K

798.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$32.34 Rp 560.5K

-6.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$21.34 Rp 369.8K

150.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$6.26 Rp 108.4K

320.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$3.00 Rp 51.9K

109.00%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$60.9 Rp 1.1M

616.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,667 Rp 132.9M

36.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$41.90 Rp 726.2K

35.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$20.46 Rp 354.6K

118.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$125 Rp 2.2M

-17.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$121 Rp 2.1M

-11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$217 Rp 3.8M

360.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$156 Rp 2.7M

297.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$497 Rp 8.6M

330.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$303 Rp 5.3M

307.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$1,193 Rp 20.7M

224.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$876 Rp 15.2M

166.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$204 Rp 3.5M

422.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-24.40%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Balikpapan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $217 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 422% 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: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $251 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Mexico City vs Balikpapan: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Mexico City and Balikpapan differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $774 including rent). Balikpapan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 422% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $217 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Balikpapan runs roughly 92% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $60.9 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $774 in Balikpapan versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Balikpapan 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 Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.