Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bandung Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Bandung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $634 in Bandung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $952 in Bandung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,269 in Bandung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 134% more expensive than Bandung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Bandung is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$1.27 Rp 22.1K

922.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$9.29 Rp 161.1K

471.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$3.30 Rp 57.2K

194.55%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$1.50 Rp 26.0K

150.00%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.49 Rp 8,409

220.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.25 Rp 4,308

352.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$3.45 Rp 59.7K

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.61 Rp 62.6K

29.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.17 Rp 20.3K

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$1.07 Rp 18.5K

153.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$0.88 Rp 15.3K

113.64%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

59.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$8.97 Rp 155.5K

12.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.03 Rp 52.6K

173.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$7.81 Rp 135.4K

52.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.35 Rp 40.8K

21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$1.27 Rp 22.1K

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.71 Rp 29.6K

21.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$1.51 Rp 26.3K

30.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$1.47 Rp 25.5K

46.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$2.65 Rp 46.0K

-17.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.97 Rp 16.8K

43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.42 Rp 7,310

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.60 Rp 45.0K

61.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$23.38 Rp 405.2K

-39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$2.04 Rp 35.4K

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$3.41 Rp 59.1K

7.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.30 Rp 5,160

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

$10.52 Rp 182.4K

77.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$0.76 Rp 13.2K

82.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$0.76 Rp 13.2K

-60.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$2.55 Rp 44.1K

112.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$0.79 Rp 13.8K

70.89%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$25.0K Rp 432.6M

-24.35%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$26.2K Rp 454.5M

-11.71%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$43.66 Rp 756.7K

-6.50%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$4.62 Rp 80.1K

495.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$23.01 Rp 398.9K

32.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$21.48 Rp 372.2K

148.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

$6.32 Rp 109.5K

316.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$3.01 Rp 52.1K

108.31%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$92.0 Rp 1.6M

374.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$7,439 Rp 128.9M

40.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$42.16 Rp 730.7K

34.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$30.59 Rp 530.2K

46.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$59.3 Rp 1.0M

73.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$64.6 Rp 1.1M

67.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$238 Rp 4.1M

320.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$153 Rp 2.7M

304.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$455 Rp 7.9M

369.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$249 Rp 4.3M

396.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

$755 Rp 13.1M

411.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

$318 Rp 5.5M

634.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

$287 Rp 5.0M

272.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

9.15

23.93%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bandung: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $238 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 272% 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 $9.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $214 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

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

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

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 134% lower than in Mexico City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Mexico City pays 272% 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 $238 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $634 in Bandung versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $634 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Bandung 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 Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.