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: $1,682 in Mexico City versus $626 in Bandung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Mexico City versus $918 in Bandung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Mexico City versus $1,210 in Bandung.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 169% more expensive than in Bandung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 23% above, Bandung is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 MX$200

$1.43 Rp 25.4K

727.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 MX$884

$11.35 Rp 201.8K

359.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 MX$184

$3.44 Rp 61.1K

215.99%

Cappuccino

$4.03 MX$68.2

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

161.69%

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

$1.71 MX$28.99

$0.44 Rp 7,868

288.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$22.70

$0.23 Rp 4,082

482.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MX$57.5

$3.00 Rp 53.3K

13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 MX$97.3

$3.13 Rp 55.6K

83.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MX$31.99

$1.13 Rp 20.1K

67.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$0.99 Rp 17.5K

220.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.74

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

153.09%

Eggs

$3.01 MX$51.1

$1.46 Rp 26.0K

106.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 MX$214

$7.35 Rp 130.7K

71.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 MX$169

$2.86 Rp 50.8K

247.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 MX$271

$8.09 Rp 143.7K

97.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 MX$55.6

$2.24 Rp 39.9K

46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.87

$1.06 Rp 18.9K

94.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.36

$1.54 Rp 27.3K

35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 MX$42.44

$0.94 Rp 16.7K

165.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$34.76

$1.07 Rp 19.0K

91.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$31.70

$1.94 Rp 34.6K

-3.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 MX$26.66

$0.64 Rp 11.3K

145.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.64

$0.40 Rp 7,149

247.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 MX$91.2

$2.74 Rp 48.7K

96.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 MX$304

$22.53 Rp 400.5K

-20.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 MX$34.31

$1.85 Rp 32.9K

9.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 MX$80.7

$3.32 Rp 59.1K

43.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MX$6.13

$0.29 Rp 5,185

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.80 MX$353

$9.26 Rp 164.6K

124.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 MX$34.92

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

151.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.55

$0.51 Rp 9,040

9.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 MX$98.6

$2.27 Rp 40.4K

156.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.05

$0.86 Rp 15.2K

79.07%

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

$22.5K MX$380.6K

$21.2K Rp 376.9M

5.91%

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

$26.5K MX$448.7K

$29.4K Rp 522.5M

-9.92%

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

$66.0 MX$1,118

$34.47 Rp 612.6K

91.38%

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

$30.98 MX$525

$4.30 Rp 76.5K

620.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.20 MX$613

$19.56 Rp 347.6K

85.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 MX$975

$18.44 Rp 327.7K

211.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.75 MX$453

$5.74 Rp 102.0K

366.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 MX$121

$2.75 Rp 48.9K

159.27%

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

$457 MX$7,738

$96.4 Rp 1.7M

373.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MX$224.5K

$8,416 Rp 149.6M

57.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MX$1,285

$39.70 Rp 705.6K

91.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 MX$917

$32.88 Rp 584.5K

64.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MX$1,974

$76.1 Rp 1.4M

53.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,063

$71.2 Rp 1.3M

70.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 MX$19.4K

$215 Rp 3.8M

434.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MX$12.3K

$180 Rp 3.2M

302.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 MX$42.4K

$385 Rp 6.8M

549.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 MX$22.6K

$263 Rp 4.7M

405.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,895 MX$66.0K

$737 Rp 13.1M

428.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 MX$36.4K

$308 Rp 5.5M

598.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$282 Rp 5.0M

278.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

11.38

-0.26%

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

Last update for Mexico City: August 17, 2026

Last update for Bandung: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Mexico City and $215 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 279% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $11.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $195 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 169% 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.

Average pay runs 279% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,147 in Mexico City versus $215 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% 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 $11.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $626 in Bandung versus $1,682 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 $626 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 169% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.